"Sole purpose of this game was to bring Shaheen Afridi back on earth"- Fans troll Pakistan pacer after he concedes 79 runs vs India in Asia Cup 2023

Pakistan bowling spearhead Shaheen Afridi had a forgettable outing against India in the Super Four match in Asia Cup 2023 at the R.Premadasa Stadium. He conceded 79 runs in his 10-over spell and picked up only one wicket.

Shaheen was the star for his nation in their previous meeting with India in the group stage of the Asia Cup last week, where he picked up four wickets and dismantled the Indian batting line-up. Following his magnificent spell in that game, many Pakistan fans trended 'they cannot play him' on X (formerly Twitter) to laud the left-arm pacer.

Things changed drastically in the next contest between the two teams. Indian openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma rectified their mistakes from the previous game and took Shaheen Afridi to the cleaners.

Rohit set the tone early by becoming the first batter to hit a six against him in the first over of an ODI innings. Gill, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli followed suit and scored briskly against the ace Pakistan pacer, who endured an off game at the office.

Fans took note of Shaheen Afridi's failure in the match and expressed their reactions on social media platforms. Here are some of the top reactions:

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"He was trying to hit the stumps" - Shubman Gill opens up about his strategy against Shaheen Afridi

Speaking at the mid-innings break, Team India opener Shubman Gill revealed that he wanted to show positive intent against Shaheen Afridi, who is a big threat with the new ball.

Shedding light on his strategy while facing the new ball, Gill said:

"I think he (Shaheen) was trying to hit the stumps so it was important to show some intent. Glad it worked for me. (On the conditions) There is a bit of seam movement initially. Once the ball gets old, it will be crucial for us to mix up the pace and the lengths."

"The ball was doing a little bit and they bowled well. It was important for us to take them on and show them that if they bowled bad balls, we would put them away. That puts extra pressure on them and makes it more difficult to hit those good areas," he continued.

"KL Rahul was playing his first match after injury and to score a century in those conditions was magnificent. Virat bhai also completed his century and 13000 runs and showed how he is such an inspiration to all of us," Gill added further.

Meanwhile, India posted a mammoth total of 356/2 in their 50 overs. In response, Pakistan are 47/3, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan already back in the hut.