The anticipation was sky-high, but it all came crashing down as Pakistan fell to India by six wickets in Dubai. What was meant to be a contest of pride and redemption instead turned into another painful reminder of the difference between the arch-rivals, leaving millions in Pakistan stunned and speechless.
The disappointment was palpable on social media, where posts of despair began appearing within minutes of the result. Some fans posted broken-heart emojis, while others angrily questioned the bowlers’ inability to take wickets.
It began like a nightmare. Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out swinging, tearing into Pakistan’s bowling attack with ruthless authority. Every boundary felt like a dagger, and by the time the powerplay ended, the damage was already done — the nation was left watching in disbelief as hope drained away ball by ball.
None of Pakistan’s bowlers — not Shaheen Shah Afridi, not Saim Ayub, not Abrar Ahmed — could stem the bleeding. Fans erupted in fury, their anger spilling all over social media. “No pace, no length, no swing, no variety, no spin — nothing at all,” one furious supporter wrote, summing up the mood of an entire nation.
The damage was already done, but a glimmer of relief came in the 10th over when Faheem Ashraf finally broke through, clean bowling Shubman Gill for 47 with the score towering at 105-1.
However, his reaction to the wicket wasn’t enough, with fans criticising it by saying that it was unnecessary.
Hope flickered back to life when Haris Rauf struck gold, dismissing Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav for a duck. The roar from fans was deafening — “Game on!” they shouted, clinging to belief. But Sharma had other plans. He kept thrashing Pakistan’s bowlers with ruthless strokes, piling on the agony.
It wasn’t until he finally departed for a blistering 74 that Pakistani supporters could breathe again, though by then, much of the damage had already been done.
India eventually won the match by six wickets — the second victory against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025.
For many, the hurt went far.
Sahibzada Farhan — the hero
One of the few positive moments for Pakistani fans in the high-octane clash came through Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century, capped with a fiery celebration.
Farhan and Fakhar Zaman walked out like men on a mission, stitching together 21 runs. But just as the momentum began to build, disaster struck — Fakhar fell to Hardik Pandya in the third over after a controversial third-umpire call. Social media exploded with outrage: “That wasn’t out! Why does this always happen to us?” one furious fan tweeted.
Farhan, however, refused to let the spirit die. Teaming up with Saim Ayub, he gave Pakistan a much-needed backbone, their 72-run stand drawing cheers and chants across living rooms.
The resistance continued — Farhan stood tall, hammering boundaries with elegance and grit, his 58 off 45 balls the knock of the innings.
After bringing up his fifty, Farhan pointed his bat forward like a rifle and mimicked firing shots, a gesture that quickly caught the cameras and lit up social media, with fans calling it one of the most entertaining celebrations of the tournament.
Middle overs crisis
The energy inside the Dubai stadium shifted drastically once the openers were gone. What promised to be a steady platform soon turned into a painful crawl, as Pakistan’s middle order stumbled under the mounting pressure. The runs dried up, boundaries vanished, and every dot ball felt like a dagger to the fans’ hearts.
On social media, frustration spilled over.
Every wicket and dot ball felt like a step backwards. Instead of acceleration, Pakistan’s middle overs turned into a passage of survival — with desperation, not dominance, defining their cricket.
