In a fiery Super Four clash of the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf made headlines off the field as much as on it.

While patrolling the boundary during India’s innings, Rauf responded to jeers from some Indian spectators with a hand gesture that immediately drew attention.

Rauf, standing there at the boundary, lifted his fingers to show “0-6” and then, in a sort of dramatic hand move, pretended to fly a plane up and then crash it down.

Of course, anyone watching instantly thought of Pakistan Air Force’s big win back in May, the one where six Indian jets, mostly French Rafales, were reportedly taken down in a historic air battle. 

Unsurprisingly, the clip spread like wildfire on social media. Pakistani fans jumped on it, calling it bold, cheeky, even a little bit glorious. Indian fans, on the other hand, were furious, typing out their anger faster than a T20 run rate.

This, yet again, proves something everyone watching knows too well: in the India-Pakistan rivalry, nothing stays small. 

Not a boundary, not a gesture, not even a shrug. Everything can explode into headlines in a heartbeat.

Handshake controversy lingers on

The Sunday’s showdown between India and Pakistan wrapped up with more frost than friendship, as players once again left without the usual post-match handshake.

India successfully chased down a 172-run target to defeat Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya scored the winning runs in the penultimate over. However, neither Indian nor Pakistani players stepped forward to shake hands.

The absence of the traditional handshake at the conclusion of the match has drawn attention, with observers pointing to a lack of sportsmanship and game spirit between the two arch-rivals.

Neither team offered clarification, but the incident underscored the lingering tension surrounding one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries.

Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze wasn’t happy with the officiating in his team’s loss to Oklahoma on Sunday, and the SEC admitted a crucial touchdown shouldn’t have counted.

The Sooners won 24-17 over the Tigers, thanks in part to trickery on an Isaiah Sategna III wide-open touchdown. The conference later ruled the play illegal, saying it should have been called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The second-quarter play appeared to show Sategna running toward the sideline for a substitution, but he stopped near the boundary. Auburn’s defense believed he was out of the game until the ball was snapped and immediately thrown to him for an easy touchdown.

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During his postgame interview, Freeze acknowledged he had to “better be quiet,” or risk a hefty fine for criticizing officials. But ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin called the play illegal after reviewing it on the broadcast, and Freeze agreed after the game.

Freeze told reporters he had warned his staff “all offseason” that such plays were deemed illegal and shouldn’t be run. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, however, described it as a “tempo play” rather than a deception, claiming Sategna checked in with an official before the snap.

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The SEC sided with Auburn in its ruling, citing “NCAA football Rule 9-2, Article 2,” labeled “unfair tactics.”

“No simulated replacements or substitutions may be used to confuse opponents. No tactic associated with substitutes or the substitution process may be used to confuse opponents. This includes any hideout tactic with or without a substitution,” the SEC said in a statement.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III (5) catches a touchdown pass during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Auburn Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. on Sept. 20, 2025. (IMAGN)

“The officiating crew did not properly interpret the action as a hideout tactic. If properly officiated, the second-down play should have resulted in a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards assessed from the previous spot.”

Freeze was also frustrated with another play involving Sategna. Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee appeared to pick up a fumble and return it for a touchdown. Auburn believed Sategna had caught the pass before losing control, but after review, officials ruled it incomplete.

“I don’t know how it’s not a fumble,” Freeze said. “I don’t know. Maybe they had a different review up top. Looked like he juggled at first, regained, and ran. We stripped it. Thought it should have been a touchdown.”

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze talks with a game official during the third quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. (John Reed/Imagn Images)

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Unfortunately for the Tigers, both calls went against them, and losing by just a touchdown made the outcome sting even more.

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