Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan took to social media to commemorate a historic T20 milestone for the Indian squad and, in his trademark cheeky way, made a subtle dig at Pakistan. He emphasized how India has constantly outperformed their arch-rivals in Twenty20 cricket, dating back to 2007.
Pathan celebrated India's historic victory in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup, which saw the Men in Blue overcome Pakistan in the final. The final of the tournament was played in Johannesburg on September 24, 2007.
India batted first after winning the toss and posted 157/5 thanks to 75 by Gautam Gambhir and 30* in 16 balls from Rohit Sharma, while Umar Gul took three wickets for Pakistan. In response, Imran Nazir made 33 and Misbah Ul Haq made 43, as Pakistan was bowled out for 152 runs. Irfan Pathan and RP Singh took three wickets each for India, as they became the inaugural T20 World Champions under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
Irfan Pathan was given the Player of the Final award for his 3/16, and he celebrated the 18th anniversary of India’s T20 World Cup win and also took a cheeky dig at Pakistan.
"What a day it was back in 2007. Where our World Cup dream was fulfilled. Beating Pakistan regularly started there in T20 cricket,” Pathan posted on X.
In the present Asia Cup, India and Pakistan faced off twice, with the Men in Blue winning both games comfortably. Since 2007, India has maintained a strong T20 record against Pakistan, winning the bulk of matches while gaining a psychological advantage.
Pathan has also criticized Pakistan's players for their recent on-field antics during the Asia Cup, which took place amid rising political tensions between the two countries. Sahibzada Farhan celebrated with a gun after scoring a fifty, and Haris Rauf made a fighter-jet gesture.
India, on the other hand, remained serene throughout the conflicts, avoiding traditional handshakes and public expressions of passion.
Pathan, known for his clever social media presence, made sure his homage was both playful and appreciative of India's cricket triumphs.
While the India-Pakistan rivalry is still fierce, Pathan's post reminded fans of India's long-standing prowess in T20 cricket, remembering both past successes and recent accomplishments.
