Dubai: In Dubai last night: India hammered Pakistan by six wickets in the Asia Cup Super Four, chasing 172 like it was a warm-up drill. Ninth straight T20I win, now 9-0. Pakistan might want to redefine ‘rivalry’ in their playbook. But the runs were just half the story. The real spark? Taunts, gestures, and snubs that turned cricket’s biggest clash into a tense spectacle. Let’s dive into the top fiery moments that gripped every fan out there …
The toss chill: Captain Suryakumar Yadav wins, elects to bowl, and blanks Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha—no handshake, no glance. Second match running, a pointed nod to the Pahalgam terror attack’s fallout. India’s stance: Play hard, but principles first. Fans on X? Loving Surya’s quiet steel.
Haris Rauf’s boundary breakdown: Indian fans chant ‘Kohli! Kohli!’—Rauf cracks, flashing ‘6-0’ fingers and mimicking planes plunging, mocking Pakistan’s debunked Rafale jet claims from Operation Sindoor. What was he even thinking, cricket pitch or conspiracy convention? Hands diving like doomed jets? Pathetic stunt, straight from a debunked playbook. BJP leaders branded it a ‘national insult,’ Vadodara fans burned posters—X ignited with thousands of #RaufGesture posts.
Pakistan’s AK-47 antics: After reaching fifty, Sahibzada Farhan mimes firing an AK-47 with his bat, joined by Shaheen Afridi and Rauf after wickets. Celebration they call it—especially after Pahalgam’s scars, where 26 civilians were brutally killed. Ex cricketer Amit Mishra nailed it as ‘cheap theatrics.’ And Indian fans? Outraged, calling for ACC fines.
The sledging storm: Shaheen Afridi, smashed for six off ball one, slings insults at Abhishek Sharma. Rauf piles on with mid-over abuses. Heat explodes, Abhishek shouts back defiantly, eyes locked; Shubman Gill jumps in, roaring sharp retorts. Prod two Indian stars, expect a fierce backlash. Umpires intervene as words fly like yorkers.
Abhishek’s boundaries comeback: Channeling the fire, he blasts a 24-ball fifty (74 off 39, fastest Indian T20I vs Pakistan), caps it with a flying kiss to the bowlers. Tilak Varma’s 30 not out and Gill’s 47 seal the chase; Pakistan’s 171/8 (Farhan’s gritty 58) fades fast.
Post-match freeze: No handshakes with Pakistan. India shakes only with umpires, huddles up, and strides off. Pakistan? Left standing like an afterthought.
And the mic-drop moment? Suryakumar Yadav’s post-match presser zinger: “This isn’t a rivalry anymore. Rivalry’s when it’s close like 7-8 or 5-6. But 9-0, 9-1, whatever it is… no contest.” Brutal. Surya burying the hype under India’s sheer superiority.
Pakistan scratched to 171/8 on Farhan’s luck-fueled 58 and India’s five drops; Dube’s cutters strangled the middle. And India’s reply? Ruthless. 9.23 runs per over, pure command amid the chaos.
India’s triumph was emphatic, but the off-field edges revealed cricket’s thin line. Rauf’s plane farce and AK-47 poses weren’t witty, they jabbed at real wounds. Abhishek and Shubman’s fire proved India’s grit, but Surya’s words hit home when he said this is not what you call rivalry.
Yesterday wasn’t a mere victory; it was a statement of skill, solidarity, and standing firm. India will face Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
