Suresh Raina did not hold back after a Pakistan journalist mocked him with a post saying that Shahid Afridi is an ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024 and the former India cricketer is not. Raina straight away replied with a reminder of the 2011 ODI World Cup match which had India and Pakistan locking horns at Mohali. All of the fuss about this banter/battle of words is coming after Raina took Afridi’s name on air when asked about coming out of retirement.
The ever-witty Raina replied: “Suresh Raina hu, Shahid Afridi nahi” (I am Suresh Raina, not Shahid Afridi),” referencing former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi’s multiple retirements. This left the commentary box in splits. (Virat Kohli to announce retirement soon? Michael Vaughan makes bold prediction)
In a similar vein, Imran Siddique, a journalist from Pakistan’s Dawn News, tried to take a dig at Raina by pointing out that Afridi is an ambassador for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
He posted: “ICC has named Shahid Afridi as an ambassador for ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Hello Suresh Raina?” (USA defeat Bangladesh in historic T20I series victory ahead of T20 World Cup 2024)
Suresh raina pic.twitter.com/Tzdj2N0IqV vipin-alt (@VipinAlt) May 23, 2024
I’m not an ICC ambassador, but I have the 2011 World Cup at my house. Remember the game at Mohali? Hope it brings back some unforgettable memories for you. https://t.co/5H3zIGmS33 Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) May 24, 2024
Suresh Raina went into full savage mode, reopening old wounds for Pakistani fans. He reminded the journalist of the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, where India triumphed over Pakistan. He added that even though he might not be an ambassador for the T20 World Cup, he still has the 2011 World Cup at home.
“I’m not an ICC ambassador, but I have the 2011 World Cup at my house. Remember the game at Mohali? Hope it brings back some unforgettable memories for you,” Raina quoted the Pak journalist’s post.