New Delhi: When former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar posted a picture with former Indian cricketers and members of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in Dubai ahead of the India-Pakistan mega clash, the board vice-president Rajeev Shukla’s “omnipresence” didn’t go unnoticed.
Indian cricket fans quipped: “Rajeev Shukla is everywhere”, and critics, including Pakistanis, could not get over the “hypocrisy”.
Akhtar, who is in Dubai for the Champions Trophy match, shared the picture on social media with the caption: “How many faces do you recognise? The eve of the Greatest Rivalry.”
India and Pakistan are set to face each other in the 2025 Champions Trophy Sunday—one of the most anticipated battles in ICC tournaments, not just because of the high-quality cricket, but also due to the rarity of these encounters.
Besides Shukla, the picture included former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, International Cricket Council chief Jay Shah.
“Rajeev Shukla is omnipresent… after God, these are the places… Narayan Narayan…” an X user wrote.
Rajiv shukla is omnipresent..bhagwaan ke baad yahi sab jagah hain… Narayan Narayan..
Abhi ye banda kumbh mein tha.. aur abhi Dubai mein baitha hai
Kya pata parso @elonmusk ke saath Mars par cheers kar raha ho….😔
— Gems of Benares (@singh_kumaramit) February 22, 2025
Indian cricket fans are convinced: “Everything is temporary, Rajeev Shukla is permanent.” The general consensus is, “Two things are permanent in life: India/Pakistan cricket rivalry and Rajeev Shukla.”
One X user said, “Somehow my eyes knew they had to search for Rajeev Shukla.”
Another one wrote, “Rajeev Shukla hi satya hai (Rajeev Shukla is the truth).”
But of course, it wasn’t all laughs. Critics on the social media platform had some pointed remarks, with one saying, “Apparently it’s okay for the home minister’s son to chat & party with Pakistanis and this isn’t disrespectful to those fighting at the border. But Kohli laughing with Babar or Bumrah accepting a gift from Shaheen is where we draw the line.”
“Jay Shah as an ICC chair is meeting with Pakistani players, but if our own current players were seen with them, the media would scrutinise them to hell…”, another remarked.
“One for the Indian hyper-nationalists! After all, the chest-beating about not going to Pakistan, here’s the Home Minister’s son hobnobbing with Pakistanis,” read one post.
Meanwhile, a few fans had a different take, focusing on the actual game: “Jab neutral venue pe meet-up ho sakta hai, to ODI, Test aur T20 series bhi kar lo,” wrote a user.
Even some Pakistanis jumped in, with one cricket enthusiast joking, “They’ll do all of this and not agree to tour Pakistan.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh )
Also read: India vs Pakistan in Champions Trophy history: High-octane clashes, controversies & standout players