- India won the 2025 Asia Cup by five wickets against Pakistan in Dubai
- Pakistani fans expressed frustration and disappointment on social media, with many of them roasting their team
- Fans slammed Pakistani bowler Haris Rauf for his provocative on-field gestures
As Team India scripted history by clinching their 9th Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the crushing disappointment and frustration of Pakistani fans flooded social media.
India won the 2025 Asia Cup by five wickets in a high-intensity final match on Sunday. While team India celebrated its win without a trophy, Pakistani fans fumed and railed at their team. Clips of fan reactions to YouTubers and media channels circulated on social media, with supporters even commenting that amateurs could play better.
An angry fan said, "Even if the whole of Pakistan wants to win against India, we can't... India was our father, and will remain our father (India hamare baap the, baap rahenge)."
"Our generation cannot defeat them. We are not even equal to their shoes. They did the right thing by not shaking hands with us," he added
Another fan said, "We are left disappointed again and again. This was the third match. We had some hope today, but there is no doubt India's team is very strong."
Pakistani YouTuber Umer Afzaal, in a streaming video, slammed cricketer Haris Rauf for his provocative 'plane' gestures on the field, calling the move completely unnecessary.
"I was saying from day one that Hrish Rauf has poked the tigers," he said, referring to Rauf's 'fighter jet' gesture after dismissing Sanju Samson in an earlier match.
Another fan also slammed Rauf's provocation and said, "We are very disappointed with Pakistan's performance. The way Pakistan started batting with Farhan Sahibzada and Fakhar Zaman gave a good opening start to Pakistan, but then out wickets started falling one by one like fighter jets, breaking our hearts in pieces."
Another fan noted that the Pakistan team gets spooked whenever they face India. "They always face pressure when playing against India, and they can't take the pressure. Compared to that, the Indian team is cool and confident," he said.
A disappointed fan said that we see cricket to support the country now. "Really don't want to see these (Pakistani) players," he said. Another man shouted that their team played with the fans' emotions.
Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria also took to X to share a picture of a TV in a cage. The photograph appeared to be a jibe at the long-standing tradition in Pakistan of fans breaking their television sets after their team lost to India in a cricket match.
Tilak Varma anchored India's nervy chase with an unbeaten 69, and Shivam Dube (33) provided some support as they overwhelmed the rivals with two deliveries to spare. Batting first, Pakistan failed to capitalise on an 84-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) and were bundled out for 146.
With Farhan in full flow and Zaman playing the second fiddle to perfection, there was no inkling of the collapse lurking around until spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2-30) dismissed Farhan in the 10th over. Kuldeep Yadav then took over, tying the batters up in knots while Axar Patel picked up a couple of wickets to hasten Pakistan's collapse. Jasprit Bumrah also finished with two wickets.
India's start was rather wobbly as they lost their in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, also the tournament's leading scorer, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav inside the first 10 deliveries of their innings. They slumped to 20-3 after the exit of Shubman Gill, but Varma and Sanju Samson (24) decided to rebuild the innings.
Even that recovery would not have been possible but for the reprieve Samson, then on 12, got when Hussain Talat dropped him in the deep.
