Published on: Sept 26, 2025 08:43 pm IST
In a humorous moment ahead of the Asia Cup final, Shoaib Akhtar mistakenly referred to Abhishek Bachchan instead of cricketer Abhishek Sharma.
Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar recently made a hilarious on-air slip during the cricket talk show Game On Hai and it didn’t take long for Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan to respond with a cheeky jab of his own.
Shoaib Akhtar mixes Abhishek Sharma with Bachchan
While analysing Pakistan’s chances in the Asia Cup final against India, Shoaib accidentally mixed up names, saying, “If Pakistan get Abhishek Bachchan out early on in a hypothetical situation, then what is going to happen with the middle-order? Their middle-order hasn’t performed well.”
The panel burst into laughter as the host and other guests quickly corrected him that Shoaib had meant to say Abhishek Sharma, the young Indian opener who’s been in blazing form with back-to-back half-centuries. But the mention of the Bollywood star instead of the cricketer created an instant viral moment online.
Abhishek Bachchan reacts
Abhishek Bachchan shared link of the news on X (formerly Twitter) and responded with his signature wit: “Sir, with all due respect… don’t think they’ll even manage that! And I’m not even good at playing cricket.”
The light-hearted exchange brought some comic relief ahead of what promises to be a high-tension Asia Cup final between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, set to take place in Dubai on 28 September. With political undertones and fierce sporting rivalry, this is the first time the two sides are meeting in an Asia Cup title clash.
About Ind Vs Pak final
India enters the final as the clear favourite, unbeaten in the tournament and led by strong performances from Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav, who currently tops the wicket charts. However, India’s fielding has drawn concern, with 12 dropped catches reportedly due to the tricky lighting conditions under Dubai’s “ring of fire” floodlights.
Pakistan, on the other hand, edged past Bangladesh in a nail-biting 11-run win to secure their spot in the final. While their bowling attack, spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, continues to impress, their fragile middle-order remains a major concern.
