BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has made it clear that the Indian cricket board had no involvement in Sunrisers Leeds signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred auction. According to Shukla, the BCCI’s authority extends only to the Indian Premier League (IPL), and it cannot interfere with decisions taken by franchises competing in overseas leagues.
Sunrisers Leeds, one of the teams in England’s The Hundred, is owned by Sun TV Network Limited — the same group that owns Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. The franchise drew attention when it secured Abrar Ahmed in the auction, especially after speculation that teams linked to IPL owners might avoid bidding for Pakistani players.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Shukla stressed that the BCCI has no role in such matters. He explained that franchises investing in teams outside India operate independently and are free to make their own decisions regarding player signings.
“The BCCI’s jurisdiction is limited to the IPL,” Shukla said, adding that the board cannot dictate which players franchises choose in competitions held abroad. If a team decides to sign a particular player in a foreign league, that decision rests entirely with the franchise management. He also pointed out that Pakistani players do not feature in the IPL, which naturally places such decisions outside the BCCI’s domain.
Even before the auction began, there was considerable discussion around the participation of Pakistani players in The Hundred. Some reports suggested that franchises linked to IPL owners might stay away from bidding for players from Pakistan.
Early developments in Thursday’s auction seemed to support those claims. Several Pakistani players went unsold during the initial rounds. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq was the first Pakistani cricketer to attract interest when his name came up.
Tariq, known for his unusual bowling action — which includes an angular run-up and a noticeable pause before releasing the ball — caught the attention of multiple teams. Eventually, Birmingham Phoenix secured him for £140,000 after a brief bidding battle with Trent Rockets. Interestingly, neither of those franchises has links to IPL ownership, which further fueled speculation about IPL-associated teams avoiding Pakistani players.
Other well-known Pakistani cricketers in the auction pool also missed out. Players like Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan went unsold despite their international experience and strong reputations in T20 cricket.
However, the narrative changed when Abrar Ahmed’s name came up. The leg-spinner, widely regarded for his deceptive variations and wicket-taking ability, entered the auction with a base price of £75,000.
Sunrisers Leeds co-owner and CEO Kavya Maran quickly opened the bidding for Abrar. Trent Rockets responded immediately, pushing the price past the £100,000 mark. As the contest intensified and crossed £150,000, Maran briefly consulted with Sunrisers Leeds head coach Daniel Vettori.
After that quick discussion, Maran decided to stay in the race. Trent Rockets eventually pulled out, allowing Sunrisers Leeds to secure Abrar Ahmed for £190,000. The signing stood out as one of the most talked-about moments of the auction, particularly because of the earlier speculation surrounding Pakistani players and IPL-linked franchises.
Abrar’s selection also suggested that cricketing considerations ultimately took priority during the auction. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the eight franchises involved in The Hundred had earlier emphasized that selections would be based purely on cricketing merit, player availability, and the specific needs of each squad.
That statement, released last month, aimed to underline the tournament’s commitment to a merit-based system. In many ways, Abrar’s signing by Sunrisers Leeds reinforced that message, showing that teams were willing to pursue players they believed could strengthen their line-ups.
The development has also sparked fresh conversation about the growing influence of franchise ownership groups across global T20 leagues. As IPL team owners continue to expand into tournaments around the world, decisions made by these franchises in overseas competitions are attracting increasing attention.
For Shukla, however, the situation is straightforward. While Indian companies may own teams in other leagues, the BCCI does not control or influence the decisions those franchises make outside the IPL.
