Akhtar mentioned that he got messages and calls saying that “India has rigged the game” and plans to “intentionally lose to kick Pakistan out of the Asia Cup.”
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Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar strongly criticized those who suggested that India had planned to perform poorly in their Asia Cup Super 4 match against Pakistan. Akhtar revealed that he had received messages and calls alleging that “India had manipulated the game” and intended to “purposely lose (against Sri Lanka) to eliminate Pakistan” from the Asia Cup.
India’s Dominant Victory Over Pakistan
Following India’s convincing 228-run victory over Pakistan, the Pakistani team needed India to defeat Sri Lanka in their next Super 4 match to enhance their chances of reaching the final. However, India faced significant pressure from Sri Lanka in that match, primarily due to the exceptional all-round performance of 20-year-old Dunith Wellalage.
The young left-arm spinner, Dunith Wellalage, caused quite a scare for India by taking the wickets of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya. This remarkable performance earned him his first-ever five-wicket haul, and India was bowled out for a total of 213 runs.
India’s Bowling Fightback
India, however, made a strong comeback with the ball. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took three Sri Lankan wickets within the powerplay. Later on, Kuldeep Yadav posed a significant challenge for Sri Lanka’s middle-order batsmen.
But once again, it was Wellalage who posed a threat to India, this time with his batting skills. The left-handed batsman scored an impressive 42 not out from 46 balls, and it seemed like he might turn the game in Sri Lanka’s favor. However, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja made crucial breakthroughs on the other end, resulting in Sri Lanka being bowled out for 172 runs. This secured a 41-run victory for India.
Akhtar praised the sincere efforts of Wellalage and emphasized that it had nothing to do with India intentionally performing poorly. He expressed his confusion, saying, “I don’t understand what some people are saying. I’m seeing memes and receiving messages claiming that ‘India has rigged the game’ and that they’re losing on purpose to eliminate Pakistan. Is everything alright? Sri Lanka’s players are giving their all. Wellalalge and Asalanka have put their hearts into it. Have you seen that 20-year-old kid? He scored 43 runs and took 5 wickets. I’m even getting calls from India and other countries, all saying that India was deliberately losing.”
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Logical Reasons for India’s Intentions
Akhtar pointed out that there was no logical reason for India to take the Sri Lanka match lightly because they needed to win it to secure a spot in the finals. “Why would they deliberately lose, tell me? They want to make it to the final. Creating memes without any basis doesn’t make sense. India showed great resilience. The performance by Kuldeep was exceptional. Take a look at Jasprit Bumrah, observe the determination even when defending a modest total,” Akhtar emphasized.
As it stands, India is the only team to win both of their Super 4 matches. Bangladesh has already been eliminated after losing two matches. Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now face off in a knockout match in Colombo on Friday. The winner of this contest will proceed to the final against India. However, in case rain interferes with the match, Sri Lanka holds an advantage due to their higher net run rate.