The Punjab Kings, an Indian Premier League franchise, has come under heavy criticism for a promotional banner related to the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the 2025 Asia Cup. The banner, shared on social media ahead of the match on September 11, omitted the Pakistan cricket team’s logo and hashtag, focusing solely on India.
The promotional material prominently featured Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian cricket logo, but there was no mention of Pakistan, sparking an outcry from fans. Many accused the franchise of showing disrespect to Pakistan and questioned the political motivations behind such an omission.
Fans quickly voiced their displeasure, with some suggesting that there was a “fear” of mentioning Pakistan before the match. Others argued that the franchise’s actions suggested a defeatist attitude before the game even began. A few fans even made light-hearted references to India’s match being against “John Cena,” playing on the wrestler’s famous catchphrase, “You Can’t See Me.”
This incident adds to a long history of controversies surrounding India-Pakistan cricket matches. Recently, during the second edition of the World Championship of Legends, the Indian team refused to play Pakistan in both the league-stage and semifinal matches, citing rising tensions between the two nations. Furthermore, some former Indian cricketers have repeatedly suggested boycotting matches against Pakistan.
On the field, India heads into the September 14 contest after a dominant nine-wicket victory over the UAE, where they bowled out the opposition for a mere 57 runs and chased the target in under 5 overs. Meanwhile, Pakistan will begin their campaign against Oman in Dubai on September 12.
Historically, India has dominated the T20 encounters between the two sides, leading the head-to-head record 10-3. Their most recent meeting was in the 2023 ICC Champions Trophy, where India secured a six-wicket victory.
The two squads are as follows:
Pakistan: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
