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A sharp verbal exchange has erupted between Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi following controversial remarks made by Afridi regarding the Indian Army in the aftermath of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Dhawan took strong exception to Afridi’s comments, delivering a stinging rebuke that referenced India’s victory in the 1999 Kargil conflict.
Shahid Afridi makes derogatory remarks against the Indian Army
The controversy began when Shahid Afridi, during an appearance on a Pakistani television channel, questioned the effectiveness of the Indian Army in preventing the tragic attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
“It’s shocking that within an hour of the attack, their media turned into Bollywood. I was shocked, but I was also enjoying the remarks the channels made and these people call themselves ‘educated’,” Afridi said on Samaa TV. He also accused India of habitually blaming Pakistan for such incidents without proof.
“Even if a firecracker bursts there, they blame Pakistan,” he added. The ex-cricketer then targeted the Indian Army, calling it “nalayak and nikamme” [useless and worthless] and blaming it for the Pahalgam terror attack.
These remarks drew widespread condemnation in India, with many public figures and citizens expressing outrage. Among the most prominent responses was that of veteran Indian opening batter Shikhar Dhawan.
Shikhar Dhawan slams Shahid Afridi for insulting the Indian Army
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Dhawan minced no words in his criticism of Afridi.
Dhawan’s post, written in Hindi, directly addressed Afridi and reminded him of past military confrontations between the two nations. He wrote, “Kargil mein bhi haraya tha, already itna gire hue ho aur kitna giroge, bewajah comments pass karne se acha hai apne desh ki taraqqi mai dimag lagao @SAfridiOfficial. Humein hamari Indian Army par bohot garv hai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Jai Hind!”
(Translation: “We defeated you in Kargil too. You have already fallen so low, how much lower will you go? Instead of passing unnecessary comments, it would be better if you focused your mind on your country’s progress. We are very proud of our Indian Army. Hail Mother India! Hail India!”)
Dhawan’s pointed reference to the Kargil War, a conflict where the Indian Army successfully repelled Pakistani intruders, served as a powerful reminder of India’s military capability and a direct counter to Afridi’s questioning of the army’s efficiency.
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The exchange did not end there. Shahid Afridi later responded to Dhawan’s tweet with a sarcastic post, sharing a picture of himself with a cup of tea and the caption, “Chouro jeet haar ko, aao tumhey chae pilata hun Shikhar. #FantasticTea” (Forget about winning and losing, come, let me serve you tea, Shikhar).
Chouro jeet haar ko , aao tumhey chae pilata hun Shikhar . #FantasticTea https://t.co/ilEOepsVm0 pic.twitter.com/T45O8o2XUR
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) April 29, 2025
This comment was widely interpreted as a jibe referencing the widely circulated video of captured Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman calmly sipping tea while in Pakistani custody in 2019, where he famously described the tea as “fantastic.”
The heated exchange between the two former cricketers underscores the deep-seated tensions that often surface between India and Pakistan, frequently spilling over from political and military spheres into the world of sports.
