T20 World Cup 2021: Top 5 controversial moments in India vs Pakistan clashes

India and Pakistan will kick off their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign by taking on each other in Match 16 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

India have a perfect record in World Cup campaigns against Pakistan. Be it the 50-over version or the T20 format, India have never gone down to their arch-rivals in a single World Cup match. Virat Kohli will be keen to keep the record intact when his men take on the Babar Azam-led outfit in Dubai.

In a pre-tournament chat with reference to the India-Pakistan clash, Azam had claimed that his team is confident of beating India since they are better accustomed to conditions in the UAE. As for Kohli, he stated that Team India aren’t taking any extra pressure and are treating the much-hyped game as a normal cricket match.

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When tempers flared during India-Pakistan clashes

Expecting an India vs Pakistan cricket match without drama is akin to watching a soap opera minus all the unpredictable twists and turns. So, as India and Pakistan prepare for their latest battle, we look back at five controversial moments in encounters between the two teams.

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#5 Harbhajan Singh vs Shoaib Akhtar (2010 Asia Cup)

Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Akhtar have a go at each other during the 2010 Asia Cup encounter.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar were at each other during the closing moments of a tense clash during the 2010 Asia Cup. India were chasing 268 to win the contest and it was anybody’s game till the very end.

In the 47th over, Harbhajan smashed Akhtar for a six over wide long-on. The Rawalpindi Express clearly wasn’t pleased and targeted the Indian batter’s rib cage, bowling a few pacy bouncers. He also had some words of advice for Harbhajan, who swiftly gave it back to the Pakistan bowler.

Harbhajan had the last laugh as he walloped the penultimate ball of the game from Mohammad Amir over the ropes to take India past the finish line. He let out a huge roar and looked in the direction of Akhtar. The Pakistan bowler made a V sign and then waved his hand in irreverent fashion.

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#4 Gautam Gambhir vs Kamran Akmal (2010 Asia Cup)

Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal having a heated exchange during the 2010 Asia Cup match.

These days, Kamran Akmal is content being a cricket expert on his YouTube channel. Back in 2010, he was in the thick of things during the same India vs Pakistan Asia Cup encounter which witnessed the Harbhajan-Akhtar fracas.

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was batting well, guiding the team’s chase of 268. However, he was irked by Akmal’s constant appealing behind the stumps. During a drinks break, Gambhir, who often got grumpy on the field, let the Pakistan keeper know that he wasn’t enjoying the noise emanating from behind the wickets.

Akmal stood his ground and the two players ended up having a staring battle. Before the situation snowballed out of hand, MS Dhoni and the umpires intervened to calm things down. Gambhir made a fine 83 before being bowled by Saeed Ajmal. He was named Player of the Match as India won the close contest by three wickets.

#3 Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi (Kanpur ODI 2007)

Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi are not the best of friends

It was difficult to keep Gambhir out of the spotlight during his playing days, particularly if the opponents were Pakistan. Gambhir and Shahid Afridi were involved in a heated altercation after they collided during an ODI in Kanpur during Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007.

It all began when Gambhir charged down the wicket and slapped Afridi for a four. The verbal duel got worse when the batter bumped into the Pakistan all-rounder while taking a single.

Afridi stood in the middle of the pitch after completing his delivery stride, and Gambhir could not get out of the way. Neither party was at fault, but the tension was so high that they had another go at each other, this time nearly coming to blows.

The umpires had to caution both players, who were later fined for the on-field altercation. India went on to win the match by 46 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

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#2 Kiran More vs Javed Miandad (1992 World Cup)

Javed Miandad imitating Kiran More during the 1992 World Cup.

The 1992 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan in Sydney was special because it was the first time the arch-rivals locked horns in the ICC event. Javed Miandad made it iconic with his hilarious imitation of Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More’s style of appealing.

While Javed was at the crease, More was constantly chirping from behind the stumps. He told the bowlers to make the Pakistan legend stretch as he was having a back problem. After one of the deliveries, Javed felt he had had enough of the chatter and turned into a jumping jack as if to prove that his back was fine.

Miandad was dismissed for 40 off 110, bowled by Javagal Srinath as Pakistan faltered in a chase of 217. They crumbled to 173 all out, losing the match by 43 runs. Although Pakistan recovered and went on to lift the championship that year, they are yet to beat India in a World Cup clash! 50-over or T20, India have maintained the unblemished record.

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#1 Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail (1996 World Cup)

Screenshots of the Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail incident during the 1996 World Cup.

Nothing beats the Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail face-off in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final. Unarguably the most charged-up World Cup clash between the two Asian giants, the match was played at a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

India batted first and posted an impressive 287 for 8 on the back of Navjot Sidhu’s 93 and Ajay Jadeja's 45 off 25, during which he famously clobbered Waqar Younis. But Pakistan came out all guns blazing in the chase. Saeed Anwar and Sohail added 84 in 10 overs.

After Srinath sent Anwar back for 48, stand-in captain Sohail decided to take charge of proceedings. He smacked Prasad for a boundary and gestured to the Indian pacer that he would punish him again, pointing his fingers in the direction where he hit the ball. The very next delivery, Prasad knocked back Sohail’s off-stump and gave him a send-off that has gained legendary status in India-Pakistan World Cup history.

In the end, India cruised to a 39-run victory as Pakistan only managed 248/9.

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