Did Ananya Panday Destroy Jio SIM To Protest Abrar Ahmed’s Signing by Kavya Maran’s Team?

A viral social media post is claiming that Bollywood actress Ananya Panday broke her three-year-old Jio SIM card to protest the signing of Pakistan cricketer Abrar Ahmed by a franchise owned by Kavya Maran.

The claim began circulating shortly after reports that a team linked to Sunrisers Hyderabad ownership signed the Pakistani leg-spinner during the player auction for The Hundred. According to the narrative shared online, Panday allegedly snapped her SIM card from Reliance Jio and posted a photo of the broken card with the caption "Country first," suggesting she was upset because Jio is associated with the franchise group.

For the unversed, Jio (Reliance Jio) is one of the sponsors of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL.

What the Viral Post Claims

Screenshots circulating on social media show an image of a broken Jio SIM card along with a message that reads: "Actress Ananya Panday broke her 3-year-old Jio SIM because Jio is a sponsor of SRH... Country first."

The posts also suggest that Panday shared or endorsed the image on her Instagram account after the signing of Abrar Ahmed.

Background to the Controversy

It all started after a team connected to the Sunrisers group reportedly signed Abrar Ahmed in the auction for The Hundred, the United Kingdom's franchise-based cricket tournament run by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The move drew mixed reactions online because Pakistani cricketers have not participated in the Indian Premier League since 2009 amid political tensions between India and Pakistan. Some social media users criticised the involvement of an IPL-linked ownership group in signing a Pakistani player, and a few posts targeted Kavya Maran personally.

Abrar Ahmed, a 27-year-old leg-spinner for Pakistan national cricket team, was reportedly picked for £190,000 in the auction.

Verification of the Claim

A review of Ananya Panday's verified social media accounts shows no post or story referencing Kavya Maran, Sunrisers teams, Reliance Jio, or Abrar Ahmed.

Keyword searches across credible news outlets and entertainment media also do not show any reports about Panday breaking her SIM card or commenting on the controversy. Her recent Instagram posts are primarily related to film promotions, brand work, and personal updates.

The viral claim that Ananya Panday broke her Jio SIM card to protest the signing of Abrar Ahmed appears to be baseless. There is no evidence that the actress posted such a message or expressed any reaction to the signing.