Five controversial India-Pakistan moments in ODI cricket

Pakistan and India are set to clash in a blockbuster Group A IND v PAK match in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday in Dubai.

Before the much-awaited match, let’s take a look at five controversial moments on the pitch between the arch-rivals in ODI cricket.

Javed Miandad’s kangaroo jump

Pakistan’s Javed Miandad always found a way of unsettling his opponents with his batting or sledging, and a match against India at the 1992 World Cup was no different.

Excessive appealing by Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More seemed to have irked Miandad during Pakistan’s chase in Sydney. The batter had a word with More, who was constantly chatting behind the stumps, before taking guard on a delivery.

Later, after completing a cheeky run, Miandad hopped like a kangaroo in a bid to imitate the glovesman in his appeals. Commentators and fans saw the funny side but not Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, who looked visibly furious at Miandad’s antics.

Venkatesh Prasad’s revenge

Opener Aamer Sohail was steering Pakistan’s chase in the IND v PAK 1996 World Cup quarter-final when a moment of rashness from the left-handed batter cost his team the game.

Chasing 289 for victory in Bengaluru, Sohail and fellow opener Saeed Anwar made the team race to 84 in 10 overs before Anwar departed.

Sohail kept up the charge as he hit Indian medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary and sledged the bowler with a finger pointed in the direction of the shot.

Prasad hit back, bowling Sohail next ball to a huge roar from the crowd and a send-off gesture from the bowler to derail Pakistan’s chase.

Inzamam-ul-Haq attacks fan

Pakistan’s usually cool Inzamam-ul-Haq infamously confronted an Indian fan in the stands at an IND v PAK match in 1997 in Toronto and the incident became a talking point for years to come.

Inzamam was standing at the boundary when an India supporter heckled the Pakistan batter with chants of “Aloo” (Potato), referring to the cricketer’s bulky frame.

When the calls became louder on a megaphone, Inzamam directed one of his players to bring a bat from the dressing room and was soon inside the stands to go after the heckler before security intervened.

Inzamam was reprimanded for the act and years later said the chants were personal and abusive.

Gautam Gambhir-Shahid Afridi trade abuse

India batter Gautam Gambhir — now their coach — smacked Pakistan spinner Shahid Afridi for a boundary in a match in 2007 and words were exchanged before the two nearly came to blows.

Gambhir and Afridi refused to back down after some verbal volleys and the batter and bowler collided — seemingly on purpose — in between a run.

The two again had a go at each other with expletives clearly visible in dramatic TV images, before the on-field umpire intervened to douse the fire.

Gambhir and Afridi have kept up the rivalry even after retiring and indulge in ugly exchanges on social media on cricket and politics.

Shoaib Akhtar triggers Harbhajan Singh

Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar never backed down from a fight but in a duel with Harbhajan Singh at an IND v PAK 2010 Asia Cup game, the India spinner had the last laugh.

Akhtar bowled a dot ball to tailender Harbhajan in India’s chase and threw a few sledges, but that only triggered the batter to hit a six for an India victory in the final over off Mohammad Amir. Harbhajan celebrated wildly in front of Akhtar, who told him where to go.

Akhtar and Harbhajan recently playfully re-enacted the moment on TV in a promotion video for the Champions Trophy.