New Delhi: India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup SuperFour clash in Dubai on Saturday was overshadowed by a controversy triggered by provocative gestures from Pakistan players. Sahibzada Farhan, after reaching his half-century, celebrated by pointing his bat like a gun, a gesture widely likened to mimicking an AK-47. Later, pacer Haris Rauf turned to the stands and made a “0-6” hand signal, which many interpreted as a reference to Islamabad’s claim of shooting down Indian jets during the Operation Sindoor conflict. The acts sparked outrage on social media and provoked sharp political reactions in India, with fresh demands that the team should have boycotted the encounter altogether.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said Farhan had “just proved on the field how Pakistani terrorists slaughtered 26 innocents in Pahalgam—gunning them down like it was nothing.” Samajwadi Party’s Sharad Saran asked “who is responsible for this insult to the nation” and accused the Pakistani batter of mocking India in the very name of the Pahalgam killings. He further said, “If Modi had wanted, would India play cricket with Pakistan.” BJP leader Amit Malviya lashed out at the opposition, alleging that “those who had called for a boycott were nevertheless glued to the match, cheering Sahibzada Farhan’s theatrics!”
He went on to suggest that “Shahid Afridi whispered a word to Rahul Gandhi in advance… nothing else explains the Congress ecosystem’s alacrity!” Aam Aadmi Party’s Saurabh Bharadwaj also condemned Haris Rauf’s act, saying, “In the India-Pakistan match, the Pakistani player is making a mockery of India in front of the whole world. He is making gestures of shooting down the Indian jet. Why were Pakistanis given such a world-class platform? Why didn’t we walk out right then?” He accused the BJP-led government of legitimising Pakistan by playing them, adding, “By playing 2-2 matches with Pakistan, they have told the entire world that everything is getting better with Pakistan. And their such antics?”
While the political row raged, the cricket itself saw Pakistan post 172, which India overhauled comfortably thanks to an opening partnership of 105 between Abhishek Sharma, who top-scored with 74, and Shubman Gill with 47. Yet, the match result was pushed into the background as the debate around the appropriateness of continuing cricketing ties with Pakistan gained fresh momentum.