Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf drew attention on Sunday during the Asia Cup Super Four clash in Dubai against India when he made a provocative ‘6-0’ gesture and mimicked a fighter jet toward the crowd. The gestures were in response to Indian fans chanting “Kohli, Kohli” and cheering aggressively against him.What does the ‘6-0’ gesture mean? The ‘6-0’ gesture refers to a false claim circulating in Pakistan that six Indian Air Force aircraft were allegedly shot down during Operation Sindoor in May. Rauf had also been seen chanting ‘6-0’ during Pakistan’s training session the day before the match. The gesture was widely criticised online, with fans calling it “disgusting” and inappropriate in a sporting context.
On the field, Rauf’s performance was mixed. He picked up two wickets, including India captain Suryakumar Yadav for a duck, but was hammered for 18 runs in 11 balls by India’s opening pair, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. His previous memory of being hit for consecutive sixes by Virat Kohli in the 2022 T20 World Cup seemed to influence his response to the crowd’s taunts. Despite the distractions, India maintained control of the game. Sharma’s 74 and Gill’s 47 laid the foundation for the chase of 172. Shivam Dube struck with the ball to dismiss key Pakistani batsmen, while Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya guided India to a six-wicket victory with seven balls to spare. Rauf’s gesture has now become the centre of debate, showing how the heated India-Pakistan rivalry can spill over into symbolic on-field provocations, attracting criticism as much as attention.
