Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf disrespect India's national anthem, spotted chatting to each other
Pakistan pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi were lambasted by the fans all over social media after the pace duo was found chatting to each other during India's national anthem before the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Yet another controversy has erupted after India’s resounding win against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Pakistan pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have found themselves at the forefront of the controversy after the duo were found talking to each other during India’s national anthem in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
Moments before the Asia Cup final, during the Indian national anthem, both Rauf and Afridi were captured having a chat. The same gesture quickly went viral all over social media, as the duo was accused of disrespecting the Indian national anthem by fans all over social media.
The moment only added further fuel to the fire that had surrounded the India-Pakistan clash throughout the Asia Cup 2025. It is worth noting that throughout the tournament, all three India-Pakistan matches had some level of controversy to them.
In the group stage, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted against shaking hands with Pakistan, a stance that he maintained throughout the tournament. Furthermore, Haris Rauf was slammed by the fans after his plane crash gesture to the fans, and all of it culminated in the Asia Cup final, where India refused to take the trophy from PCB and ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi.
Abhishek Sharma took on indirect dig at Shaheen Afridi after the game
Notably, star India batter Abhishek Sharma won the Player of the Tournament award for his magnificent performance in the competition. After the final, Abhishek came forward and took a dig at Shaheen Afridi, revealing that he had planned to go after every bowler. For the unversed, Shaheen Afridi had once branded himself as Pakistan’s ‘premium fast bowler’, and Abhishek called him out on the same after the game.
“I had a plan (on adjusting to different surfaces), and utilize the powerplay. Spinners, fast bowlers, any of the premium fast bowlers as well…I had it in my mind that I have to go from the first ball. That is going to help me give impact to my team and that is what happened,” Abhishek said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
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