"Khud hi haar manli" - Fans react to Shoaib Akhtar's cryptic post on X ahead of IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup clash

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has had to endure the wrath of fans owing to his cryptic social media post ahead of the marquee India-Pakistan clash at the 2023 World Cup.

Taking to X, Akhtar posted a picture of himself in celebration from his playing days and captioned it:

He followed it up with another image where he's seen celebrating the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar from an old game, with the star Indian batter in the background.

As it turns out, Akhtar went on to delete the post although this was what had been put up.

While the post seemingly suggested that Pakistan would defeat India, it got Indian fans, in particular, active as they trolled Akhtar by citing India's dominant record over their sub-continental rivals in the World Cup.

India to face Pakistan in 2023 World Cup clash in Ahmedabad on Saturday

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to be packed to the rafters as India face Pakistan in the 12th match of the 2023 World Cup on Saturday, October 14.

Both teams have begun their respective campaigns in spotless fashion, winning each of their two games thus far. While India defeated Australia in Chennai and Afghanistan in Delhi, Pakistan beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Hyderabad.

India hold an enviable record over their subcontinental rivals at the ODI World Cup, having won all seven games that the two teams have played in the tournament over the years. The last time they faced off in an ODI was at the Asia Cup last month, where Rohit Sharma's men came up trumps comfortably by a massive 228-run margin.

Pakistan will look to buck the trend and secure a historic win on Saturday. A glitzy musical ceremony has been planned prior to the start of the contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium with popular musicians and Bollywood stars slated to grace the event.

Can India make it a record eighth win over Pakistan in ODI World Cups on Saturday? Have your say in the comments section below!

About the author

Sooryanarayanan started off as a non-contracted text commentator at Sportskeeda 3 years ago and is today, the Cricket Commentary Manager. An MBA degree holder, a burning passion for the sport eventually led him to take it up professionally. He also writes insightful Feature pieces from time to time.

Sooryanarayanan sees cricket as a reflection of life’s ebbs and flows, and believes that the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy perfectly showcased it via the determination, courage and the never-give-up attitude displayed on field. He is a staunch Team India supporter and believes that the team has a very bright future. He admires MS Dhoni for how he approaches the sport and life as they come, being unfazed by both victory and defeat.

Sooryanarayanan tries to stick to facts and relies heavily on numerical data to present them. Keeping an objective and neutral view is one of his biggest reporting strengths, along with conducting thorough research and verifying all facts. His exploits in his field have led him to interview some star cricketers like Rovman Powell, Chamari Athapaththu, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Peter Hatzoglou, and more.

When not immersed in Cricket, Sooryanarayanan loves to watch movies and web series, which helps him to focus better when he’s back to work.

Know More