Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah has slammed the Indian team cricketers for not taking a stand for their teammate Mohammad Shami after the latter suffered online abuse as Pakistan beat India for the first time in World Cups, in Dubai on October 24 in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.
Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets ending a 29-year winning streak of Men in Blue in T20 World Cups and 50-over World Cups. India managed just 151/7 with Virat Kohli making 57 and Shaheen Afridi picking three wickets. Unbeaten half-centuries from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan overhaul the target without losing a wicket and 13 balls to spare.
This led to Mohammad Shami and captain Virat Kohli being abused and trolled on social media and Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader Omar Abdullah on Monday, criticized the Indian team for not supporting their teammate Shami.
"Mohammed Shami was one of 11 players who lost last night, he was not the only player on the field. Team India your BLM knee taking counts for nothing if you cannot stand up for your teammate who is being horribly abused and trolled on social media," Abdullah tweeted.
As soon as India was defeated by Pakistan on Sunday, fans took to Instagram and Twitter to pass derogatory statements on Mohammed Shami. Indian skipper Virat Kohli also saw some unruly fan behavior and the trolls have also not been kind to him, as he is also being criticized for his captaincy during the game.
"We didn't execute properly. Credit where it's due and Pakistan outplayed us today. They started brilliantly with the ball, and 3 wickets for 20 runs was not a good start. We needed wickets early but with the bat, they gave us absolutely no chances," Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports after the game ended.
India will next play New Zealand on October 31 in Dubai in the T20 World Cup 2021.
(ANI inputs)
