‘Khiladiyon ko abuse nahi karna chahiye’ – Yusuf Pathan comes out in support of team India amidst harsh criticism

History was scripted in Dubai by the Pakistan team as they defeated India for the very first time in a World Cup match. The Babar Azam-led side put up a clinical show and thumped the Men in Blue by 10 wickets. They couldn’t have asked for a better start to their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign. While Pakistan fans were delighted with the losing streak ending finally, cricket lovers in India were gutted.

Social media got flooded with criticism as soon as Pakistan crossed the line. Some disgruntled fans even hurled abuses at the Indian players. Former Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan wasn’t amused with this as he slammed the fans abusing the Virat Kohli-led side. The 2007 T20 World Cup champion said everyone has the right to criticize players but abusing them isn’t acceptable.

This is a game and the better team on that day won: Yusuf Pathan  

“Criticising is fine but the players shouldn’t be abused. This is a game and the better team on that day won. Only these cricketers have won many matches for India in recent years. And one who wins after losing is called Baazigar! #indiaVsPakistan #INDvPAK #T20WorldCup21,” the former cricketer expressed his thoughts in a tweet.

Speaking of how the game panned out, Pakistan won the all-important toss and invited their arch-rivals to bat first. Shaheen Shah Afridi breathed fire with the new ball and dismissed openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. The ship was steadied by a crucial partnership between skipper Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. The former even scored a brilliant half-century as India posted a respectable 151/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

With the Dubai track having assistance for bowlers, many backed the Indian team to extend their winning streak. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan joined forces and never allowed Indian bowlers to inflict any damage. They added 152 runs for the first wicket as the Men in Green crossed the line by 10 wickets. Indian skipper Virat Kohli also didn’t hesitate in accepting that Pakistan outplayed them in this contest.

“We didn’t execute properly. Credit where it’s due and Pakistan outplayed us today. They started brilliantly with the ball, and 3 wickets for 20 runs was not a good start. We needed wickets early but with the bat they gave us absolutely no chances,” said the 32-year-old.