Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner Kavya Maran has refused to comment on the controversy surrounding the signing of Pakistani players in The Hundred. The debate started when Sunrisers Leeds signed Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed for £190,000 during the player draft.
The 2026 season of The Hundred begins on Tuesday, July 21 with the opening match between Sunrisers Leeds and MI London at the Kennington Oval. Sam Curran-led MI London chased down the target of 145 runs and registered a seven-wicket win over Zak Crawley-captained Sunrisers Leeds.
“We have so many” – Kavya Maran refuses to comment on Abrar Ahmed
During a recent media interaction, Kavya Maran was asked about the criticism of Sunrisers Leads signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed. However, he refrained from commenting on the controversy and said that he assembled a balanced team during the Player Draft.
“We are really happy with both our teams; we have a lot of bases,” Kavya Maran told The Telegraph.
Sunrisers Hyderabad became the only Indian Premier League franchise to take full ownership of The Hundred team after purchasing Yorkshire’s 51% stake and the England and Wales Cricket Board’s 49% stake in Sunrisers Leeds.
Following speculation that Indian-owned teams would avoid signing players from Pakistan, the ECB and all eight franchises issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to parity.
Abrar Ahmed’s The Hundred debut ends disappointingly
Abrar Ahmed had a mixed start for Sunrisers Leeds against MI London. The 27-year-old Pakistani spinner started batting and hit a six on the very first ball. Before getting out, he scored seven runs in three balls.
However, Abrar Ahmed found it difficult to play with the ball at Kennington Oval. He conceded 30 runs in his 10-ball spell and failed to take a wicket as MI London chased the target with ease and started the tournament with a seven-wicket win.
Other players from Pakistan have also been included in The Hundred this season. Birmingham Phoenix have signed spinner Usman Tariq for their men’s team. The franchise also added Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana as a replacement after the women’s draft.
Jacob Bethel ruled out of Hundred with knee injury
England all-rounder Jacob Bethel is out of The Hundred With right knee injury. The 21-year-old player suffered the injury during England’s recent ODI series against India. He underwent an MRI scan on Monday before officially withdrawing from the tournament.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the news in an official statement and said that Bethell has begun his rehabilitation.
“Jacob Bethel has been ruled out of The Hundred with a right knee injury,” the ECB said in a statement. “He suffered the injury during the Metro Bank ODI series and had an MRI scan yesterday morning. He will begin his rehabilitation, and we will provide updates as required.”
Bethel signed a £340,000 deal for the captain of Knight Rider Capital-owned Birmingham Phoenix. The young all-rounder is considered the future captain of England and the injury may also affect his availability for the Test series against Pakistan starting on August 19 at Headingley.