The rivalry between India and Pakistan is the biggest rivalry in the history of cricket. The India-Pakistan game is always high-pressure, and neither team is willing to give the opposition an inch while the game is on. Altercations are common in India-Pakistan encounters due to the high level of pressure.
Even though players from both teams have downplayed the feeling of playing against each other in the modern era, there have been instances in the past where players have had altercations on the field.
- Gautam Gambhir vs Shahid Afridi
After Gambhir hit Afridi for four, the latter began yelling, and the former retaliated with equal friendliness. Gambhir ran for a single on the next ball and collided with Afridi, who was in his way. This sparked a second, more serious argument, disrupting the game’s flow and forcing on-field umpire Ian Gould to intervene. Following a post-match inspection, Gambhir and Afridi were fined 65 percent and 95 percent of their respective match fees, respectively.
- Kiran More vs Javed Miandad
In a World Cup match in Australia, Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More appealed a little too much behind the stumps to put pressure on Pakistan’s best batsman Javed Miandad. Miandad obviously didn’t like it at first, but he ignored it. However, Miandad eventually had enough of More and decided to mock the Indian wicket-keeper. Miandad began jumping after pushing the ball to the offside to mock More. The right-hander was clearly enraged.
- Harbhajan Singh vs Shoaib Akhtar
After Suresh Raina was dismissed, Harbhajan Singh took over and batted brilliantly, leading India to victory with a six in the final over of the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan. The attempt to sledge Bhajji by Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar in the second last over was the catalyst for him to play with a spark. After Raina left and Singh was partnered with Parveen Kumar, a tailender, Akhtar tried to irritate him once more with a few taunts and insults. With a powerful maximum on the second last ball of the match, Harbhajan set the record straight.
- MS Dhoni vs Shahid Afridi
This was Dhoni’s first time batting at No. 3 for India, and the Pakistani bowlers, including Afridi, had little knowledge of him. When Dhoni hit Pakistani leg-spinner Shahid Afridi for a four inside out over covers, the Pakistani leg-spinner was enraged and said something to Dhoni. Dhoni, being the cool player that he is, didn’t respond verbally, but he responded appropriately on the next ball when he smashed Afridi through the same region for a six.
- Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamir Sohail
This was also a World Cup match, and stand-in Pakistani captain Aamer Sohail was performing admirably. In that particular over, he came down the track and thumped Venkatesh Prasad through the off-side for a boundary. Sohail then gestured to Prasad that he would hit him through the same region with the next ball, but it turned out that Prasad actually cleaned up Sohail and gave him an angry send-off with the next ball.
