On Saturday, Asia Lions defeated India Maharajas by an impressive 85-run margin in the Eliminator match of the Legends League Cricket match. The Shahid Afridi-led side batted first and posted a total of 191/5 in 20 overs after Upul Tharanga smashed 50 off 31 balls and Mohammad Hafeez scored 38 off 24 balls.
Later, Sohail Tanvir, Abdur Razzak, and Hafeez each took two wickets as the Maharajas were dismissed for 106. Aside from leading his team to the tournament final, Afridi won millions of hearts with his heartfelt gesture towards a fan.
In a video posted on Cricket Pakistan’s Twitter account, a fan approached Afridi and requested an autograph on the Indian flag. The former Pakistan captain held the India flag respectfully and signed an autograph for the fan, who returned with a smile on his face. The video has since been doing rounds on the internet.
The video of Afridi’s gesture has gone viral in both India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan only play in global tournaments, with no bilateral matches. This is why any interaction between Indians and Pakistani players gains a lot of traction.
Here is Shahid Afridi’s video
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Shahid Afridi gives an autograph to a fan on the Indian flag ?#LLC2023 @SAfridiOfficial pic.twitter.com/LonnLwlDAt
— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) March 19, 2023
As for the match, India Maharajas fell short by 85 runs because none of the batters reached the 40-run mark. Gautam Gambhir led the team with 32 runs off 17 balls. Stuart Binny and Pragyan Ojha had previously scalped two wickets each, while Pravin Tambe had one.
With this victory, Asia Lions have advanced to the Legends League Cricket final, where they will face World Giants on Monday.
