When cricket’s spirit went missing alongside Pakistan’s top order

So, the long-awaited India vs Pakistan clash finally happened – not just any clash, but the first sporting meeting after both countries spent the summer trading missiles like they were WhatsApp forwards. Naturally, fans expected cricket to bring peace, unity, and perhaps even a thrilling contest. Instead, what they got was… well, Pakistan’s batting.

Let’s be honest: Pakistan’s batting card looked less like a scoreboard and more like a Wi-Fi password. Saim Ayub started by donating his wicket to Hardik Pandya before anyone even found their seats.

Bhaii Ko Saeed Anwar Banney ka Kaha tha Saeed Ajmal Ban Gaye #Copied pic.twitter.com/MEmX0PzjNC

— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) September 15, 2025

Sahibzada Farhan swung the bat like he was trying to swat flies, and Mohammad Haris? Blink and you’d have missed him. Fakhar Zaman hit a couple of nice boundaries, just enough to remind everyone he can bat, before leaving the party early. By the time Salman Agha chipped one meekly to the deep, fans were googling “return policy for match tickets.”

But in true Pakistani fashion, the drama wasn’t all bad. While the batters collectively folded like a cheap umbrella in a monsoon, Shaheen Shah Afridi channeled inner Afridi for a night, smashing four sixes in an innings that probably gave the selectors an existential crisis: “Should we drop him from bowling and promote him to opener?”

Bravo 👏 Well Played Shaheen Afridi ❤️ Those to sixes to Chapri Pandya will be remembered for long time #PakistanCricket #PAKvIND #pakvsindia #AsiaCupT20 pic.twitter.com/H3GH3hn5LS

— Hamza Kaleem (@hamzakaleem5) September 14, 2025

Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, perhaps tired of waiting to bat properly, decided to impress with the ball, proving that in Pakistan cricket, roles are always flexible—like yoga, but with more collapses.

FROM BATTER TO BOWLER.? 🥶

Saim Ayub’s Asia Cup 2025 so far:

• With the bat: 2 ducks 🦆, 0️⃣ runs
• With the ball: 5️⃣ wickets

Unbelievable scenes. 🎬 pic.twitter.com/S7OfkHFFiO

— Nawaz. (@Rnawaz0) September 15, 2025

And then came the real headline: the handshake controversy. Apparently, India decided to ghost Pakistan at the end, walking off without the customary handshake.

All he wanted was a handshake😂 pic.twitter.com/GsSQHAHGV4

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) April 20, 2024

Pakistan’s players stood there awkwardly, arms outstretched, looking like rejected relatives at a wedding. The PCB even filed a complaint, because nothing screams “spirit of cricket” like taking your grievances to HR.

Of course, the context made it all the more surreal. This was the first cricket game after an actual war—yes, missiles, artillery, drones, the whole buffet. Fans thought maybe, just maybe, cricket would thaw relations. Instead, India won by seven wickets, Pakistan forgot how to bat, and the only thing that crossed borders was disappointment.

کرکٹ کی تاریخ کا ایک بہت ہی منفرد موقع، جب بھارت نے ایشیا کپ میچ کے بعد روایت سے ہٹ کر پاکستانی کھلاڑیوں سے مصافحہ نہیں کیا — یہ کرکٹ جیسے “جینٹلمینز گیم” کے لیے افسوسناک لمحہ ہے۔ 😞#PakVsIndia #PAKvIND #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/xiR0C2pNpX

— 𝗗𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 (@DrNaeemMeoMD) September 15, 2025

Fans on both sides had prepared for an epic. Indian fans wanted revenge for old wounds, Pakistani fans wanted redemption. What they got was 127 runs of chaos, Shaheen cosplaying as a top-order batter, and a handshake saga worthy of a Netflix docuseries.

In the end, cricket didn’t quite bring peace. But it did remind everyone of one universal truth: whether in war or sport, Pakistan’s batting collapse is inevitable.