Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has taken a sarcastic social media swipe at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following an inaccurate celebratory post regarding the ongoing Hong Kong Sixes tournament.
Sharif had posted online to congratulate the Pakistan team on securing a four-wicket victory against arch-rivals India during the fast-paced, six-a-side competition.
However, Chopra was quick to point out that the match in question was not actually Pakistan's opening fixture of the tournament as the Prime Minister had claimed.
The digital exchange drew significant attention across social media platforms as cricket fans and commentators reacted to the political commentary surrounding the exhibition tournament.
In his online post, Sharif praised the players for their performance and also commended Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for supporting the squad.
The Prime Minister wrote that it was a good game of cricket while celebrating the four-wicket win over India in what he termed the opening clash.
Chopra responded by highlighting that Pakistan had actually suffered a defeat against the United Arab Emirates in their true opening match of the competition.
The former India opener questioned the factual accuracy of the Prime Minister's statement, suggesting an excessive eagerness to celebrate a victory against India regardless of tournament context.
Chopra also remarked that the Prime Minister's focus on the Hong Kong Sixes reflected the current standing and general quality of the country's cricket setup.
The match itself saw Pakistan secure a comprehensive four-wicket victory after successfully chasing down a target set by India within the allotted overs.
Pakistan captain Abbas Afridi had earlier won the toss and elected to field first, putting the Indian batsmen under pressure on the short boundary ground.
Despite a fiery knock of 40 runs from just 11 deliveries by Shashank Singh, India were restricted to 88-5 at the end of their six overs.
In reply, Pakistan reached the target comfortably in just 3.5 overs to seal the win against their arch-rivals.
Khawaja Nafay led the charge for the batting side with an explosive 41 runs off 12 deliveries, while captain Afridi contributed a quickfire 35 off eight balls to guide his team home.
The Hong Kong Sixes is a traditional six-a-side competition that features rapid gameplay, minimal overs per innings, and aggressive stroke play from all participating international teams.
Brief scores: India 88-5 (6 overs; Shashank Singh 40) lost to Pakistan 89-4 (3.5 overs; Khawaja Nafay 41, Abbas Afridi 35) by 4 wickets.
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