India’s five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday has sparked a flood of reactions online, with politicians, celebrities, and former cricketers reacting to the performance and post-match controversies. Among them, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju’s post stood out for its strong message and symbolism. The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, wrote on X, “Pakistan deserves this punishment” along with a rolled-up fist emoji. His post, accompanied by two images from the game – one of Haris Rauf being dismissed, and secondly, that of Jasprit Bumrah giving the Pakistani pacer a taste of his own medicine with his ‘downing jet’ celebration quickly gained traction, adding weight to the celebrations after India’s emphatic victory.
Kiren Rijiju’s post on X (Screengrab)
The final carried extra spice, coming just a week after Haris Rauf’s controversial gestures in the Super Fours. Videos of Rauf mocking Indian supporters with fighter jet crash signals and “6-0” signs had triggered outrage. On the day of the final, it was Jasprit Bumrah who turned the tables. In the 18th over, the Indian pacer bowled a searing yorker that sent Rauf’s stump flying. What followed lit up the Dubai International Stadium — Bumrah spread his arms wide and mimicked a jet crash celebration of his own. The crowd erupted, and the clip of the moment instantly went viral. By then, Pakistan were already deep in trouble. After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, India’s spinners tightened the screws in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav returned excellent figures of 4/30, supported by Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) and Axar Patel (2/26). Bumrah, despite going for runs early, finished with 2/25 and the wicket that defined the night.
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Pakistan, once cruising at 84 for no loss thanks to Sahibzada Farhan’s 57 and Fakhar Zaman’s 46, collapsed spectacularly to 146 all out in 19.1 overs. India then rode on Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 and Shivam Dube’s 33 to chase down the target in 19.4 overs, sealing the T20 Asia Cup title.
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