The Indian Premier League franchise, Punjab Kings, dragged itself into controversy by snubbing Pakistan from the India’s Asia Cup match banner.
The arch-rivals are set to clash on September 14 at the Dubai International Stadium, for the first time since the cross-border tensions earlier this year.
Their banner featured a logo of the Indian cricket team, but their Sunday’s opponent Pakistan were left out from the post.
Pakistan were missing from the caption as well.
This exclusion sparked widespread criticism from fans and cricket followers, who accused the franchise of being politically motivated and disrespectful towards Pakistan.
Some took a dig stating that there was “fear in even mentioning Pakistan”, while others argued, “Why accept defeat before the match?
Some memers also stepped in with hilarious digs such as India’s match is against John Cena – who is famous for this catch phrase ‘You Can’t See Me’.
This is not the first time controversy has marred an India-Pakistan clash.
Recently, during the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), India Champions refused to play Pakistan not only in the league-stage fixture but also in the semifinal.