Shoaib Akhtar reveals Pakistan’s masterplan to beat India in Asia Cup final, and ‘Abhishek Bachchan’ is part of it

During the cricket talk show Game On Hai, former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar unintentionally sparked laughter with a hilarious slip of the tongue that quickly went viral.

While discussing Pakistan’s prospects in the upcoming Asia Cup final against India, Akhtar said, “If Pakistan get Abhishek Bachchan out early in a hypothetical situation, then what is going to happen with the middle-order? Their middle-order hasn’t performed well.” The panel and host immediately burst out laughing and corrected him.

Akhtar had intended to refer to India’s promising opener Abhishek Sharma but accidentally named Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan instead. The gaffe provided comic relief amid the high tension surrounding the eagerly awaited final.


India and Pakistan are set to clash in Dubai for their first Asia Cup title showdown, a match charged with both sporting and political significance.

Pakistan secured their final spot with a narrow 11-run victory over Bangladesh, while India remains unbeaten in the tournament. Recent encounters between the two sides have been intense, with players skipping post-match handshakes and celebrations often reflecting political undertones.

India, the defending T20 world champions, are favourites. Abhishek Sharma has impressed with consecutive half-centuries, and Kuldeep Yadav leads the wickets tally. However, India’s fielding has raised concerns, with 12 dropped catches attributed to the “ring of fire” effect under Dubai’s lights.

Pakistan, on the other hand, depend on their pace attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, though their batting lineup still shows vulnerabilities.

[With TOI inputs]