A storm of criticism by the opposition has been making waves since the announcement that the Indian cricket team will be playing against Pakistan. The row, however, erupted again after India thrashed the arch-rivals on Sunday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader has once again come out slamming the Indian cricket team and the ruling party. Raut, while posting a video on social media platform X, wrote that, “At the beginning of the series, 15 days ago, I even shook hands with Pakistan`s minister Mohsin Naqvi and got a photo taken.”
Sanjay Raut highlighted that the Indian cricket team’s decision of not to receive the trophy from the PCB officials and Pakistani ministers was nothing but a drama.
Raut posted, “These people are now putting on a show for the country!
If you had so much patriotism in your blood, you shouldn`t have stepped into the field with Pakistan.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader pointed out that the players are just putting on a show in front of the nation while keeping patriotism aside. Through the video, Sanjay Raut tried to convey that if the team and the BCCI had issues with Pakistan, why did the Indian captain shake hands with Pakistani Minister Mohsin Naqvi 15 days before during the inaugural ceremony?
Just 15 days ago, at the start of the series, they were shaking hands and smiling for photos with Pakistan’s minister Mohsin Naqvi.
And now? Full-on nationalist drama for the cameras!
If patriotism was truly in your blood, you wouldn’t have even stepped on the field with… pic.twitter.com/jX81sfdMx2— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) September 29, 2025
He added, “From top to bottom, it`s all just drama. The people of India are just fools.”
The backlash highlighted the heightened sensitivity around India-Pakistan sporting events, where even symbolic gestures are scrutinised by fans and commentators alike. While such handshakes are often part of international sports diplomacy, opposition leaders like Sanjay Raut argue that these moments clash with current displays of patriotic fervour.
The debate has sparked widespread discussion about the role of sportsmanship, diplomacy, and national sentiment in high-profile India-Pakistan encounters, reflecting how emotions run high whenever the two nations meet on the sporting stage.
Earlier on Sunday, Team India secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to lift the Asia Cup 2025. This win, amid all the controversy that has been going on between the two nations, marked India’s ninth triumph in the Continental tournament.
The final of the Asia Cup was played at the Dubai International Stadium in the UAE, which lived up to the intense India-Pakistan rivalry.
