NEW DELHI: There has been no effort from the Pakistani side to ease tensions following another humiliating defeat against India in the Asia Cup Super 4 match on Sunday. Not only did Pakistani players, experts, and TV presenters make controversial remarks against India, but some family members also joined in, with pacer Haris Rauf's wife fueling the controversy with a social media post.
A viral video shows Haris Rauf gesturing '6-0' to Indian fans near the boundary ropes. The '6-0' signal was a reference to the Pakistani government's politically charged claims of downing six Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. The pacer did not stop there; he went on to mimic the motion of a crashing plane.
Rauf's wife, Muzna Masood Malik, sparked controversy by posting a picture of her husband making the '6-0' gesture on her Instagram story. To make matters worse, the caption read: 'Lost the match but won the battle.' The post reflected how the fake narrative of Pakistan's so-called 'victory' in Operation Sindoor continues to resonate with some fans.
However, the post was deleted shortly on Monday after going viral. Although Instagram stories usually remain visible for 24 hours, this one is no longer accessible.
On the match front, Abhishek Sharma slammed a 39-ball 74 and shared a 105-run opening wicket stance with Shubman Gill as India surmounted a 172-run target in 18.5 overs with six wickets to spare in their first Super 4 match of the Asia Cup.
Both Abhishek and Gill had run-ins with Pakistan pacers Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi during the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
"Today it was very simple, the way they (Pakistan players) were coming at us for no reason, I didn't like it at all and this is the only way (his aggressive batting) I could give medicine to them," said Abhishek in the post-match presentation.
