Afridi and Dhawan got into a heated argument on social media platform X.
“Chhodo jeet-haar ki baatein, aao tumhe chai pilata hoon Shikhar. #FantasticTea (Forget winning or losing, Shikhar, come over for some tea. #FantasticTea),” Afridi tweeted on Tuesday (April 29), igniting a fresh controversy.
The heated argument erupted after Dhawan slammed Afridi for blaming the Indian Army for the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
Speaking on a Pakistani TV channel, Afridi questioned how such an attack could happen despite India’s heavy military presence in Kashmir. “You have 800,000 soldiers there and still this happens? That means you’re failing,” he said.
Afridi also slammed the Indian media’s coverage of the terror attack, stating: “Within an hour, their media turns into Bollywood. It’s laughable.”
These comments weren’t received well by Dhawan, who hit back strongly on X. “We beat you in Kargil too. How much lower will you fall? Instead of making baseless comments, try working on your own country’s progress. We are proud of our Indian Army. Jai Hind!”
Subsequently, Afridi came up with “#FantasticTea” retort, referring to the famous 2019 moment when captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman calmly sipped tea while in Pakistani custody and said, “The tea is fantastic.”
By bringing it up now, Afridi has reignited old tensions. For the Indians, however, Abhinandan’s line became a symbol of grit and composure under pressure.