Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan strongly criticized Pakistan cricket fans after they trolled the Indian U19 team for losing the World Cup Final against Australia.

India’s defeat: A heartbreaking loss in the U19 final against Australia

In the final of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 on Sunday, February 11, both India and Australia entered the match with undefeated streaks. Australia, led by captain Hugh Weibgen, won the toss and chose to bat first in the knockout clash. Key contributions from Harry Dixon (42), Weibgen (48 ), Harjas Singh (55 ) and Ollie Peake (46*) propelled Australia to a formidable total of 253 for the loss of seven wickets. This total marked the highest score in a U19 World Cup final. In response, India’s batting order struggled under pressure, and the defending champions were bowled out for 174 in 43.5 overs.

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rolls unleashed: Pakistan fans target India’s U19 team

Several Pakistan fans engaged in trolling the Indian team following their loss in the U19 World Cup final against Australia. This defeat marked the third successive final loss for India against Australia. Before the U19 loss, the senior men’s team had faced defeats in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final and the ODI World Cup Final against the Australian side led by Pat Cummins.

Irfan Pathan’s strong stand against negativity

After observing reactions from Pakistan cricket fans, Irfan Pathan responded on his ‘X’. The former India cricketer criticized this negative attitude, attributing it to Pakistan’s mindset. He referred to the trolls as “keyboard warriors across the border” and used the hashtag #padosi, implying that the comments were from people in Pakistan.

“Despite their U19 team not making it to the final, keyboard warriors from across the border find pleasure in our youngsters’ defeat. This negative attitude reflects poorly on their nation’s mindset. #padosi,” Pathan said.

In the midst of the ongoing Test series between India and England, the Indian coaches and selectors are grappling with the decision of who will lead the Indian team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.

The captaincy for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup remains uncertain, with speculations surrounding whether it will be Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya or potentially another player. Former Indian fast bowler Irfan Pathan has weighed in on this matter, expressing his opinion on who should be entrusted with the captaincy for India in the T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup 2024

The global showpiece tournament is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA), with India set to participate in four crucial league matches. Among these games is a high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9, a fixture of great significance as the teams progress to the knockout stage.

Irfan Pathan provide his verdict for the Team India’s captaincy role

Speaking to News 24, Pathan emphasized that the present Indian team has been shaped according to Rohit’s preferences. He said despite India’s loss in the ODI World Cup 2023, the team displayed outstanding performance under Rohit’s captaincy. Pathan further expressed the opinion that considering Rohit’s leadership and recent century against Afghanistan in the last T20I, he should be given the captaincy in the upcoming global showpiece event.

“The present Indian team has been prepared by Rohit Sharma as per his own wishes. Even though India lost in the ODI World Cup, the team performed brilliantly under the captaincy of Rohit. In such a situation, I feel that Rohit Sharma should get the captaincy in the T20 World Cup also,” Pathan said.

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Regarding Hardik, Pathan mentioned that although he could have been a captaincy contender, his prolonged injury raises uncertainty about his participation in the World Cup.

“Hardik too could have become the captain of Team India, but he has been injured for a long time. In such a situation, whether he will be able to play in the World Cup or not remains to be seen,” the 39-year-old concluded.

India’s preparation for the T20 mega event

India, having secured triumph in the ICC World T20 2007, recently solidified their supremacy with a resounding 3-0 victory over Afghanistan in the T20I series. This impressive win serves as a fitting conclusion to India’s T20I preparations, marking their last international T20 assignment before the highly anticipated T20I mega event.