Overview

• On Game On Hai, Shoaib Akhtar said “If Pakistan get Abhishek Bachchan out early…” before correcting himself to Abhishek Sharma and urging Pakistan to target the opener in the powerplay.
• Abhishek Bachchan responded on X: “Sir, with all due respect… don’t think they’ll even manage that! And I’m not even good at playing cricket.”
• The exchange spread widely online, turning a slip of the tongue into a pre-final talking point that bridged cricket and Bollywood fandoms.
• India arrive as favorites after an unbeaten run under Suryakumar Yadav, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 248 runs at a 206.67 strike rate and Kuldeep Yadav leading the wickets.
• Pakistan advanced with an 11-run win over Bangladesh and look to Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf for new-ball impact, as recent India–Pakistan games featured skipped handshakes and ICC complaints over provocative gestures.