The India-Pakistan rivalry at the Asia Cup has once again spilled beyond runs and wickets, with gestures on the field making as many headlines as cricket itself. After team India’s emphatic six-wicket win over Pakistan in the Super Four clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a video of Arshdeep Singh caught everyone’s attention.
Arshdeep Singh, who has not had many opportunities to showcase his bowling in recent months, has still managed to stay in the spotlight through his honest social media presence and friendly interactions with fans. On Sunday, he added another moment to his growing popularity when cameras captured him gesturing like an airplane crashing into his bottom while facing the crowd.
Here is the video:
https://x.com/kohli_goat/status/1970406015435686212
Click to watch this video directly on X
The clip went viral almost instantly, with fans interpreting it as a playful response to Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf. Haris Rauf had earlier angered Indian supporters by repeatedly making a plane-crash gesture and flashing a “6-0” sign, widely viewed as a political taunt. His actions were seen as alluding to Pakistan’s baseless claims of shooting down Indian jets during the border conflict after Operation Sindoor in May. Videos now suggest that Arshdeep Singh repeated his airplane gesture more than once during the match, including while celebrating wickets.
India’s victory, achieved by chasing down 172 runs with more than an over to spare, set the backdrop for these moments. Reports claim that Pakistan players had been waiting for opportunities to make political statements since the group stage, when Indian players refused to shake hands and captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the win to victims of the Pahalgam ter*or att@ck.
Haris Rauf was not the only one stirring controversy. Batter Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his half-century with a gun-firing gesture and later defended it, saying he “didn’t care” how people perceived it during the post-match press conference.
The cricket may have ended but the gestures ensured the rivalry continues to burn fiercely.
