Pakistani officials have issued strong condemnations following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent social media post, which equated India’s Asia Cup 2025 final victory over Pakistan to “Operation Sindoor.” The comparison, made in a tweet congratulating the Indian team, has been widely criticized for militarizing a sporting event and has triggered a significant diplomatic spat centered on the intersection of sports and politics.
Leading the criticism, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chief Mohsin Naqvi strongly rebuked PM Modi for “dragging war into sport.” Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, stated that such remarks disgrace the spirit of cricket and expose desperation. He asserted that historical battlefield outcomes cannot be rewritten by a cricket score and that the comment undermines the very essence of the game.
The sentiment was echoed by Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, who accused PM Modi of sacrificing the culture of cricket and the potential for regional peace for his own political survival. Asif emphasized that the historical record of conflicts between the two nations is firmly established and that such comparisons would not restore honour. He claimed that Modi’s statement has been met with humiliation both within India and internationally.
The backlash to PM Modi’s tweet was not confined to Pakistan. Social media users and journalists within India also voiced their disapproval, arguing that equating a cricket match to a military operation is an inappropriate politicization of sport. Critics suggested that the attempt to draw such a parallel stems from a need to compensate for past military history, further highlighting the divisive and controversial nature of the statement.
