"Aao tumhey chae pilata hun": Shahid Afridi’s jibe at Shikhar Dhawan backfires as netizens recall 'fantastic chai' after 1971 war victory

At a time when India is grieving the loss of 26 innocent lives in a terror attack in Pahalgam, a social media post by former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has drawn widespread criticism.

It all started when Afridi appeared on Pakistani television and questioned the role of Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the large number of troops deployed in the region, he said, “Tum logon ki 8 lakh hi fauj hai Kashmir mein aur yeh ho gaya… iska matlab nalayak ho, nikamme ho.”

This comment came shortly after India pointed towards Pakistan-backed terror groups as being responsible for the deadly incident, one of the worst in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama attack.


Dhawan hit back on X (formerly Twitter). In a sharp response, he wrote, "Kargil mein bhi haraya tha, already itna gire hue ho aur kitna giroge, bewajah comments pass karne se acha hai apne desh ki taraqqi mai dimag lagao @SAfridiOfficial. Humein hamari Indian Army par bohot garv hai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Jai Hind!"

Afridi responded with sarcasm, saying, “Chouro jeet haar ko, aao tumhey chae pilata hun Shikhar. #FantasticTea”


Earlier, he had also mocked Indian media, comparing its coverage of the attack to a Bollywood film and suggesting that Indian cricketers were unfairly blaming Pakistan.

While the two cricketers have had spats in the past, many social media users expressed disappointment over the timing of Afridi’s comments. With families mourning the loss of their loved ones, public figures are being urged to show greater sensitivity.