In Saturday’s critical match against India, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan scored 49,  second highest on his team in runs scored. The fatal blow to Pakistan came from Rizwan’s dismissal, which came off a slower Bumrah delivery. Unable to recover, Pakistan was eventually bowled out for 191, which Rohit Sharma’s team easily chased down in less than 31 overs.

Notably, the Ahmedabad audience teased Rizwan as he made his way back to the pavilion after being removed, with some of them singing “Jai Shri Ram” as the wicketkeeper-batsman walked by and towards the pavilion.

Internet reacts to Rizwan’s trolling

Mixed feelings have been expressed in response to the Rizwan incident. Some users shared a video of Indian players being taunted by Pakistani fans in 2017 to defend the conduct of the Ahmedabad crowd. While this is going on, a number of other individuals have also spoken out to protest the Ahmedabad fans’ behaviour, citing examples of Indian fans acting civilly towards their bitter rivals.

A commenter on X remarked, “My country has changed,” comparing the current situation to the reaction of the Chennai crowd following a significant loss to Pakistan in 1999. Pakistan received a standing ovation from the Chennai audience after defeating India in the most emotional and dramatic Test match ever played in 1999. A Pakistani batsman exited the pitch in 2023, and the crowd in Ahmedabad stood up and screamed “Jai Shri Ram.”

Other users posted other footage from 2017 that supported the activities of the Ahmedabad crowds on Saturday. Others, citing the Indian custom of treating guests with respect, apologised on behalf of the Ahmedabad audience.

Rizwan’s Gaza Controversy

Previously, after dedicating his century against Sri Lanka to the residents of Gaza, Rizwan received trolling on social media. This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza, he stated on X. I’m happy I could contribute to the team’s victory. All of the team members deserve praise, but Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali stand out for making things simpler. I’m so appreciative of Hyderabadis’ wonderful hospitality and assistance throughout.

Mohammad Rizwan was pointing to Israel’s resolute defence against the vicious assault by the terrorist group Hamas. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza after Hamas militants stormed Israel and massacred hundreds of innocent civilians. In the crossfire, many civilians died.

‘Didn’t seem like an ICC event’

Mickey Arthur, the head coach of Pakistan, observed the fighting and commented that the game “didn’t seem like an ICC event” and more like a part of a bilateral series being organised by the Indian cricket board. He referred to the Pakistani song that has evolved into the team’s unofficial cricket anthem, saying, “I didn’t hear ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ coming through the microphones too often tonight.” That does have an impact. However, I’m not going to use that as a justification [for the defeat],” he told reporters following the game.

An Indian travel website took advantage of the excitement surrounding the match by inviting Pakistani fans to India and providing them with varying discounts based on their team’s (predicted) losing margins in its tournament promotional campaign prior to the game.

Although the campaign received harsh criticism in India, some cricket fans there expressed a desire for Pakistani supporters to visit because they enjoyed “watching them lose matches to India.” Pakistan’s tournament campaign will resume in south India, where they will compete in their final six group-stage games. They play Australia in Bengaluru the following day, and sports reporter Lal anticipates a “sporting crowd” to welcome them.

I hope and pray that what we saw in Ahmedabad won’t happen again, and I am pretty confident that it won’t since Bengaluru’s crowds respect sports and athletes from all nations.