Following their defeat in the T20 World Cup against India on Monday, Pakistan found itself awash with memes and tweets on social media platform X. Thousands of posts flooded in within minutes. In this match, Ishan Kishan emerged as an 'out of syllabus' name.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi faced the brunt of criticism. While Salman Ali Agha got some respite, former stars like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi were thoroughly trolled. Many held them accountable for India's victory.
Interestingly, Pakistan—often known for mocking its rivals—saw a role reversal. India Today's investigation uncovered numerous Pakistani accounts trolling their own cricketers and leaders.
India Today's OSINT crew scrutinized X for posts, memes, taunts, and trends. It became apparent that the fiercest criticism came from within Pakistan itself. Additionally, open-source trending platforms identified Ishan Kishan of India as among the top trending names in Pakistan.
Source: aajtak
Ishan Kishan Rides the Trend in Pakistan
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan hit the first six off Shaheen Shah Afridi. This could have been an early warning for Pakistan, especially with Abhishek Sharma departing in the initial over. But the story didn't end there. Ishan Kishan trended on Pakistan's X for almost 12 hours.
Source: aajtak
Pakistani users praised him while amusingly teasing him. One user jokingly wrote, "Brother, have mercy, play slowly. Our bowlers are human too." Another jested that only Mohsin Naqvi could potentially replicate Ishan's innings from their side.
Mohsin Naqvi Under the Gun
Source: aajtak
"The aura of Mohsin Naqvi is now debt for generations"—such comments targeted PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. Recently, he reversed his stance on boycotting matches against India after government intervention. Despite this defeat, his name trended on X, with some demanding his resignation following the loss in Colombo.
In India Today's review, frustration primarily targeted Pakistan's cricket leadership. A user noted that since Mohsin Naqvi became PCB head, Pakistan has consistently lost to India. Today was no different. Responsibility for this should be identified.
Another user mentioned that had they boycotted the match, respect would have been preserved. Under the pressure of money and BCCI & ICC, Naqvi took a U-turn, gifting us this disgraceful defeat.
From Hero to Zero
Memes stating "We got the wrong team in the partition" to "I'm scared of Sundays" showcased Pakistan's frustrations. Repeated losses in major matches sparked immense disappointment, with Babar Azam coming under direct fire. Once hailed as a generational player, many now demanded his removal from the team.
He was bowled attempting a shot off Axar Patel's delivery. A user sarcastically remarked that he was an Indian spy in Pakistan for 10 years. Questions were raised on Shaheen Afridi's performance too. Within two overs, Indian batsmen thoroughly dominated him. A user quipped, "Shaheen, are you really a bowler?"
Amidst these memes and jokes, one thing stood clear. The aftermath of days of hype and buildup to the match left Pakistan's hopes dashed. Humor overshadowed analysis on the timeline. The India-Pakistan showdown score in T20 World Cups is now 8-1.
