Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi, infamous for his repeated anti-India rants, has once again stirred controversy this time by showering praise on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while launching a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and the Indian cricket team. Afridi’s remarks, made during a discussion on Pakistan’s Samaa TV after the India–Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash, have triggered sharp political reactions in Bharat, with BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya leading the charge against him.
Afridi, while commenting on the post-match handshake controversy, stunned viewers by hailing Rahul Gandhi as a leader with a “positive mindset.”
“Rahul Gandhi has a positive mindset. He wants to walk with everyone, with the entire world, through dialogue,” Afridi claimed, adding that Rahul was a “darling” in Pakistan and that Indians should choose him as their Prime Minister.
The endorsement of Rahul Gandhi from across the border immediately became the focal point of the controversy. In a country where anti-India rhetoric has been mainstreamed, Afridi’s admiration for Rahul Gandhi has raised critical questions about whose narrative the Congress leader echoes.
BJP IT cell head, Amit Malviya, took to X to slam Afridi’s remarks.
He wrote, “Rabid Hindu-hater Shahid Afridi, who never misses a chance to spew venom against India and dream of Kashmir joining Pakistan, is suddenly all praise for Rahul Gandhi. Why is it that every India-hater finds a friend in Rahul Gandhi? When enemies of Bharat start cheering for you, the people of India know exactly where your loyalties lie.”
Rabid Hindu-hater Shahid Afridi, who never misses a chance to spew venom against India and dream of Kashmir joining Pakistan, is suddenly all praise for Rahul Gandhi.
Afridi says Rahul wants “dialogue” with Pakistan, while attacking PM Modi by comparing India’s policy on… pic.twitter.com/glxcMJrTtK
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 16, 2025
Malviya’s sharp response underscored what many in India have often pointed out—Pakistan’s political establishment and its propaganda machinery consistently align themselves with Rahul Gandhi’s narrative while demonising PM Modi.
At the heart of Afridi’s outburst was the Asia Cup handshake controversy. After the match, Indian cricketers refused to engage in the customary handshake with Pakistani players.
This was no ordinary decision—it was a conscious and symbolic gesture to honor the lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack and to send an unambiguous message on the global stage that terrorism cannot be brushed aside in the name of sportsmanship.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav explained the team’s stand during the post-match presser:
“Our government and BCCI, we were aligned. Together, we came here, we took a call and I feel we came here just to play the game. And we gave the proper reply. See how it is, I feel a few things in life are above sportsman spirit.” But Afridi chose to twist the narrative, claiming Indian players had acted under “orders from above” and called them an “embarrassment” for the country.
Not stopping at cricket, Afridi used the platform to target Bharat’s leadership directly. He accused the Modi government of using Hindu–Muslim politics and compared India’s policies towards Pakistan to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“This government plays the religion card, plays the Muslim–Hindu card to come to power. This is a very nasty mindset. They want to become the next Israel,” Afridi alleged.
By invoking the Israel–Palestine analogy a favorite talking point in Pakistan Afridi once again attempted to portray Bharat’s nationalist stance as communal, while conveniently ignoring his own country’s track record on minorities and terrorism.
BJP leaders pointed to the pattern every known anti-India propagandist, from politicians in Pakistan to cricketers like Afridi, seems to sing paeans for Rahul Gandhi while attacking PM Modi.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju minced no words, “Rahul has been the darling of Pakistan! Afridi and the people of Pakistan can make Rahul their leader.” The Congress, on the defensive, tried to turn the tables by accusing the BJP of “hobnobbing” with Pakistani cricketers—a charge that fell flat in the face of Afridi’s overt endorsement of Rahul Gandhi.
This is not Afridi’s first tryst with controversy.
In 2007, he clashed with Gautam Gambhir during an ODI match, sparking one of the most infamous verbal spats in India–Pakistan cricket history. Years later, Afridi mocked Gambhir as a man with “attitude problems” and “no remarkable records,” while Gambhir retorted that Afridi may be 37 years old but was “mentally 16.”
Afridi has repeatedly made statements calling for Kashmir to join Pakistan, often parroted by Islamabad’s propaganda machinery. His latest remarks simply continue the trajectory of his unabashed anti-India commentary.
Afridi was not alone. Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf also lashed out at Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav after the handshake row. On Samaa TV, Yousuf repeatedly insulted Suryakumar, accusing India of “using umpires to torture Pakistan” and even used derogatory language against him forcing the anchor to intervene.
