This time, Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf was the centre of attention. He engaged in a thrilling duel with the Indian hitters and the spectators at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. At the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match in Dubai on Sunday, September 21, the animosity between India and Pakistan once again transcended the cricket pitch.
The story went much beyond the scorecard, even though India easily defeated Pakistan by six wickets. Chants of “Kohli, Kohli” echoed through the fans each time Rauf patrolled the boundary ropes. Virat Kohli’s exploits against the speedster during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, where the batter hit two incredible sixes off Rauf in the last over, are still remembered as legendary moments in the rivalry’s history, and the taunting served as a painful reminder of those times.
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Haris Rauf first fun response was to cup his ear and ask the fans to raise their volume.
But the conversations quickly became heated. He made a provocative fighter-jet move at one point, which was captured in a video that went viral on social media and incited uproar. Inflaming the already intense battle, many saw the move as a reference to Pakistan’s contentious accusations of downing Indian jets in the past.
Haris Rauf explosive performance on the pitch, which saw him finish with 2/26 in four overs, troubled India’s middle order and kept the game going. During the chase, he also got into verbal altercations with Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, which led to the umpires intervening. Even with his ferocity, Haris Rauf was unable to keep Pakistan from losing again.
With Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 74 off 39 balls, which was adorned with six boundaries and five sixes, and Gill’s fluid 47 off 28 in a scorching 105-run opening stand, India’s hitters were the ones who let their willow do the talking. The middle order was relieved of all the pressure by the partnership, which made the 172-run objective seem reasonable. India won the match in 18.5 overs when Tilak Varma completed the chase with an undefeated 30.
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