Tempers flared during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours encounter between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, a contest that produced as much controversy as cricket.
Batting first, Pakistan posted 171, with Sahibzada Farhan anchoring the innings through a well-compiled half-century. But it was not his runs that caught attention as much as his celebration. After reaching fifty, Sahibzada pointed his bat like a gun — a gesture widely compared online to an automatic machine gun. The act, captured on cameras and shared across platforms, drew immediate criticism and set the tone for a heated evening.
When India came out to chase, the tension spilled over almost instantly. Abhishek Sharma hooked Shaheen Shah Afridi’s opening bouncer for six over fine leg and exchanged words with the left-arm quick. The duel intensified as both players refused to back down.
{{/usCountry}}When India came out to chase, the tension spilled over almost instantly. Abhishek Sharma hooked Shaheen Shah Afridi’s opening bouncer for six over fine leg and exchanged words with the left-arm quick. The duel intensified as both players refused to back down.
{{/usCountry}}By the fifth over, another confrontation erupted. Shubman Gill pulled Haris Rauf through midwicket for four and had a go at the pacer. As Rauf turned back to respond, Abhishek stepped in, and the face-off escalated to the point where the umpire had to intervene. “They [the bowlers] were coming out to us without any reason. I did not like it at all. That’s why I went after them,” Abhishek said after the game.
Haris' actions, however, sparked the biggest storm of the night. Fielding close to a section of Indian supporters chanting “Kohli, Kohli,” the pacer gestured “6-0” with his hand — an apparent reference to Pakistan’s unverified claims of downing six Indian jets during Operation Sindoor. Videos showed him mimicking a crashing plane as well, triggering boos from the crowd and outrage online.
India, though, kept their composure. Abhishek’s 74 off 39 balls, laced with six fours and five sixes, along with Shubman’s 47, powered a 105-run opening stand. Tilak Varma (30*) and Hardik Pandya (7*) finished the job in 18.5 overs to secure a six-wicket win.
Soon after, Shubman’s four-word post — “Game speaks, not words” — went viral. Shared with action shots, the vice-captain’s message became the defining reply to an evening of provocation, even as the gestures reignited political chatter over whether India should have boycotted Pakistan in the Asia Cup.