World Cup T20: India humbled Pakistan again
In an interview with ABP News, Kaif expressed his frustration with the way the debate was shaped and called out Shoaib Akhtar for focusing heavily on Pakistan’s struggle rather than India’s performance.“Ever since we started the show, I am not happy because you say Pakistan team is as weak, they are an unenergetic team. If that team won today, then 100% Shoaib Akhtar would be saying right now that BCCI is proud, players have too much ego,” argued Kaif.“I mean, by showing Pakistan as weak, you are taking away India’s excellence. You have just shown that Pakistan is in trouble, that there is no system, but what does it matter to India?” he continued.Kaif pointed to Ishan Kishan’s match-winning 77 off 40 balls as an example of India thriving under extreme pressure. The opener, playing his first match against Pakistan, produced one of the most impressive knocks in the history of the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup despite the challenging surface.“We are talking about India, Indian captain Ishan Kishan, who was playing against Pakistan for the first time – how much pressure must be on him, we are not talking about that. Give the Indian players credit because they are playing in a situation where imagine if they lose, it would be an outrage,” Kaif pointed out.He also highlighted the intense scrutiny Indian players face in such high-stakes clashes and recalled how criticism can swirl after defeats such as the 2021 World Cup loss.“You’d say Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t shake his hands and now the team has lost, he thinks he’s so brave. Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, they’d all be on trial if they lose this match today,” Kaif said.With India now in the Super 8 stage, Kaif’s remarks serve as a reminder that victories in competitions of this magnitude are built not just on opponent mistakes, but also on skill, temperament and the ability to withstand immense pressure.