India delivered a masterful performance in the highly anticipated World Cup clash against their arch-rivals Pakistan at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. In what was expected to be a closely contested battle, India secured a resounding victory by seven wickets.
This dominating display from India was led by their captain, Rohit Sharma, who dazzled with a splendid 86 runs from 63 balls, guiding his team to a modest target of 192 with an astonishing 19.3 overs to spare. Jasprit Bumrah was recognized as the player of the match for his exceptional bowling figures of 2/19, with all bowlers, except Shardul Thakur, picking up two wickets each.
Shreyas Iyer not only hit the winning runs but also played a remarkable half-century, sealing India’s third consecutive victory. Meanwhile, Pakistan faced their second one-sided defeat to India in just under a month, as they had previously suffered a 228-run loss to their rivals in the Asia Cup Super 4 stage.
Following Pakistan’s defeat, a moment during the post-match interactions stirred controversy on social media. It involved a gesture between Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, and India’s Virat Kohli. Many Pakistani fans expressed the view that such an exchange should have been conducted privately, especially given the significant margin of defeat. This sentiment was echoed by a fan during a television show on Pakistan’s A Sports channel, where cricket legend Wasim Akram was part of a panel of experts.
The fan asserted that such gestures should be made away from the public eye, and Wasim Akram passionately concurred, offering a thought-provoking comment regarding Babar Azam.
Wasim Akram says Babar Azam shouldn't have asked for Virat Kohli's shirt after Pakistan's big defeat against India tonight. It wasn't the right time to do that! Do you agree? #CWC23 #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/csFm2TmToV
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 14, 2023
Wasim Akram says "Babar Azam shouldn't have asked Virat Kohli his Tshirt"pic.twitter.com/KREc7H41Pm#INDvsPAK #indvspak2023 #Rizwan #RohitSharma𓃵 #IndiaVsPakistan #CWC23 #ICCCricketWorldCup23 pic.twitter.com/NEhiFEzEMp
— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) October 14, 2023
FANBOY MOMENT FOR BABAR AZAM….!!
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 14, 2023
Babar asks for a signed from Virat Kohli and Virat gives it.pic.twitter.com/Caq3GoQoaV
“This is exactly what I said when I saw the picture – today was not the right time for this. If someone, like your uncle’s son, has asked for Kohli’s shirt, then request it in the dressing room after the game,” Akram emphasized.