The cricketing world is buzzing with excitement with the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan cricket match on the horizon. Adding to the anticipation, the legendary Pakistani fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar shared a peculiar tweet ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The last meeting between India and Pakistan took place during the ODI World Cup 2019 in England. The Men in Blue registered a convincing victory over the Green Team by a significant margin of 89 runs in that match. Rohit Sharma was the standout performer for India, playing a brilliant innings and amassing an impressive 140 runs, contributing significantly to his team’s triumph.
Notably, the forthcoming encounter will be the eighth face-off between these two cricketing giants in the history of Cricket World Cups. India have firmly maintained their dominance with a flawless seven consecutive victories over their bitter rivals so far.
Shoaib Akhtar’s tweet
In eagerness for the forthcoming cricket affair in Ahmedabad, Akhtar added an element of excitement by making a statement on social media. The Rawalpindi-born pacer, who had previously faced India in the 1999 and 2003 World Cup tournaments, took to social media and posted the following message: “Tomorrow, history is set to repeat itself #thandrakh.”
Also READ: World Cup 2023 – List of star performers for the pre-match show ahead of India vs Pakistan face-off
Nonetheless, Akhtar’s tweet quickly stirred significant attention on social media, generating controversy and eliciting substantial criticism from passionate Pakistani cricket fans. In response to the mounting online discourse and as a professional move, the 48-year-old cricketer eventually removed his tweet.
India vs Pakistan rivalry: Historical perspective
The cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan began in 1952 when Pakistan, captained by Abdul Kardar, set foot on Indian soil for a five-match Test series. However, their more celebrated confrontations on the World Cup stage emerged relatively recently, starting in 1992.