The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings has excluded Pakistan’s logo from the promotional banner of ongoing Asia Cup’s high-voltage Pakistan and India match set to be played on Sunday in Dubai International Stadium.
The exclusion sparked criticism among fans of followers of cricket, accusing the franchise of expressing disrespect towards Pakistan.
The promotional banner featured Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and India’s cricket logo, but omitted Pakistan, while the accompanying hashtag mentioned India only.
This exclusion sparked widespread criticism from fans and cricket followers, who accused the franchise of being politically motivated and disrespectful towards Pakistan.
Some fans claimed there was “fear in even mentioning Pakistan” before the game, while others argued: “Why accept defeat before the match? It’s not like the game is against an invisible team, so why the fear?”
While a few fans claim that India’s match is against John Cena, who uses the catchphrase ‘You Can’t See Me.’ A few went further, remarking that such moves only humiliate those behind them.
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), the India Champions refused to play Pakistan not only in the league-stage fixture but also in the semifinal, citing heightened tensions between the two nations.
Many former Indian cricketers have also repeatedly urged boycotts of matches against Pakistan across various forums.
On the cricketing front, India enters Sunday’s contest after a commanding nine-wicket win over the UAE in their opening game.
The Men in Blue bowled out the hosts for just 57 runs and chased the target inside 4.3 overs. Pakistan, meanwhile, will begin its campaign against Oman at the same venue on Friday.
Historically, India and Pakistan have clashed 13 times in T20 internationals, with India leading the head-to-head record 10–3.
Their most recent encounter came on February 23 during the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, where India secured a six-wicket victory.
Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
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