Shoaib Akhtar Scathes Mohsin Naqvi With Verbal Attack After Pakistan’s Loss vs India

India defeated Pakistan by 61 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026, after which Shoaib Akhtar strongly criticised Pakistan’s team.

India delivered a dominant performance to beat Pakistan by 61 runs in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash. Following the emphatic win, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar launched a sharp attack on Pakistan’s players and management, while praising the Suryakumar Yadav-led side for defending their crown strongly. With this victory, India now leads Pakistan 8-1 in T20 World Cup meetings.

Akhtar Slams Pakistan Team

Speaking to ABP News, Akhtar did not hold back in his criticism. “We were nowhere in the match. The Shaheen played… he was bowling at 125 kmph. This is not the requirement of modern-day cricket. These are not the talents that will handle pressure. For the last 15-20 years, there has been no investment. The sad reality of the situation is that while we fought with India on the ground at one point, today we can’t even dream of beating them,” Shoaib Akhtar said on ABP News.

He further questioned the leadership of the Pakistan Cricket Board. “One guy who does not know anything has become the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman (Mohsin Naqvi). What can you do? How will the team run? You have made a superstar out of a player (Babar Azam) who cannot win you a game. The biggest crime in the world is to give a particular job to incompetent people,” he added. Akhtar further called Naqvi “incompetent and ‘jaahil'”, saying he isn’t fit to be the chairman of the PCB.

The Harrowing Defeat Of Pakistan Against India

Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. India posted a competitive 175/7 on a challenging pitch, thanks to a brilliant 77 off 40 balls by Ishan Kishan. Captain Suryakumar Yadav contributed 32 off 29 balls with three fours, while Shivam Dube added a quick 27 off 17 balls, including three fours and a six.

For Pakistan, Ayub was the standout bowler with figures of 3/25 in four overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi (1/31 in two overs), Usman Tariq (1/24 in four overs), and Agha (1/10 in two overs) also picked up a wicket each.

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Chasing 175, Pakistan suffered an early collapse. Sahibzada Farhan fell for a four-ball duck to Hardik Pandya, with Rinku Singh taking the catch. In the next over, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Saim Ayub lbw for six and also removed captain Salman Ali Agha for four, leaving Pakistan at 13/3 in two overs.

Babar Azam started cautiously, while Usman Khan counter-attacked with two boundaries against Axar Patel. However, Axar dismissed Babar for a seven-ball five, reducing Pakistan to 34/4.

Pakistan Collapse Early

At the halfway mark, Pakistan stood at 71/4, with Usman (43*) and Shadab (12*) at the crease. Their 39-ball partnership ended when Axar struck again, as Ishan Kishan completed a sharp stumping to remove Usman for 44 off 34 balls, including six fours and a six. Pakistan slipped to 73/5 in 10.4 overs.

Mohammad Nawaz (4) was caught by Shivam Dube off Kuldeep, and Shadab Khan (14) was dismissed by Tilak Varma, with Dube taking another catch. Pakistan’s score read 78/7 in 12.1 overs.

Rinku Singh’s safe hands then gave Varun Chakravarthy his first wicket, removing Faheem Ashraf for 10 off 14 balls. Pakistan slumped to 97/8 in 15.3 overs, and Abrar Ahmed was trapped lbw for a golden duck on the very next ball.

Hardik Pandya sealed the win by cleaning up Usman, bundling Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs. Axar Patel was India’s most effective bowler with figures of 2/29 in four overs. Hardik Pandya (2/16 in three overs), Jasprit Bumrah (2/17 in two overs), and Varun Chakravarthy (2/17 in three overs) also played key roles in the victory.