Mohammad Amir said Pakistan no longer commands the fear it did in the 1990s, especially against India. Shahid Afridi called for dropping senior players, which angered Shadab Khan, who reminded critics they also never beat India in World Cups.

The cricket-mad South Asian neighbors have a bitter history, punctuated by violence and wars. It makes this one of the fiercest, and most financially lucrative, rivalries in sports.

The refusal to engage in the customary post-match handshake first became a major talking point during the 2025 Asia Cup.

Trump claimed that tariffs helped resolve conflicts between India and Pakistan, following a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated his global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The neighbors have been in conflict over the disputed border region since their independence and partition in 1947.

India is turning up the heat on Pakistan this summer. Once the Shahpur Kandi dam on the Punjab-J&K border nears completion, the flow of surplus water from the Ravi to the neighbouring nation will be halted.

The match between the bitter rivals went ahead after Pakistan earlier reversed their decision to boycott the game in solidarity with Bangladesh, who refused to tour India over safety concerns and were replaced by Scotland.