Pakistan’s spinner Abrar Ahmed, making a dream start to his 100th career, played such a fearless shot that everyone was surprised. Playing for Kavya Maran-owned Sunrisers Leeds, Abrar came in and showed no nerves and hit a six off the very first ball on Tuesday, July 21.
There was a brilliant hit in the opening match of The Hundred 2026 between Sunrisers Leeds and MI London at the Kennington Oval on Tuesday. Abrar played a daring shot to stop Richard Gleeson from taking a hat-trick during the opening match of the 100-ball tournament in London.
Abrar Ahmed’s first-ball six shatters Richard Gleeson’s dream of a hat-trick in The Hundred 2026
When Abrar Ahmed came to bat at number 11, Sunrisers Leads was already in trouble. MI London fast bowler Richard Gleeson was bowling brilliantly and he dismissed captain Jack Crawley and Benny Howell in two consecutive balls. Gleeson was all set for a hat-trick.
When the last batsman came in, most people expected Abrar to defend the next ball and avoid getting out. But Pakistan’s spinner surprised everyone. On the very first ball of his The Hundred debut, Abrar went across his stumps and confidently played a powerful shot to backward square leg.
The ball crossed the boundary for a flat six, ending Gleeson’s hopes of a hat-trick in spectacular fashion. The crowd cheered after the shot, while Gleeson became disheartened and hid his face in his palms after coming so close to a memorable feat.
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Abrar Ahmed
This is how you face a hat-trick ball #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/2WUNOle3jN
— The Hundred (@thehundred) July 21, 2026
Abrar’s fearless approach gave Sunrisers Leeds fans a chance to celebrate against MI London. The video of the six has now gone viral on social media, with fans praising Abrar for showing courage and making his first ball in The Hundred a memorable one.
However, Sunrisers Leeds had a poor performance as they were bowled out for just 143 runs as MI London chased down the target with seven wickets in hand in 88 balls to start their The Hundred 2026 campaign with an impressive win at the Kennington Oval.
Kavya Maran avoided Abrar Ahmed’s question!
Earlier, Sunrisers Leeds owner Kavya Maran had avoided speaking on the controversy over signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for The Hundred 2026. This signing has created a huge debate in India as Indian-owned franchises stay away from picking Pakistani players in foreign leagues.
During an interview with The Telegraph, Kavya did not answer questions on Abrar Ahmed due to the “political sensitivity” of the issue. In between, The Hundred format was explained: rules, 100 balls, powerplay, DRS and how it is different from T20.
Nicholas Pooran blasts Abrar Ahmed as MI London beats Sunrisers Leeds by 7 wickets
Meanwhile, explosive West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran’s breathtaking innings played a key role in MI London’s dominant win over Sunrisers Leeds in the opening match of the season. The left-handed batsman played an aggressive innings of unbeaten 58 runs with the help of five sixes and two fours in just 22 balls.
Puran completed his half-century in just 19 balls. MI London captain Sam Curran also played a brilliant innings and scored 60 runs in 39 balls with the help of three sixes and five fours. Pooran brutally attacked Sunrisers Leeds spinner Abrar at Kennington Oval.
Pakistan’s leg spinner had a tough performance as he conceded 30 runs in 10 balls and failed to take a single wicket. Notably, MI London signed Pooran for £175,000 (approximately ₹2.25 crore), and he has already started proving why the franchise invested so much in him.
