As India secured a thrilling five-wicket victory against arch-rivals Pakistan to claim the Asia Cup 2025, megastar Amitabh Bachchan couldn’t resist taking a playful jab at former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar for mistakenly confusing the cricketer’s name with that of a Bollywood actor.
In his usual witty style, Bachchan remarked on Pakistan’s loss, saying “bolti band.”
Amitabh took to X to tease Shoaib and share his excitement: “Jeet gaye!! .. well played ‘Abhishek Bachchan’ .. udhar zubaan ladkhadai, aur idhar, bina batting bowling fielding kiye, ladkhada diya dushman ko!! Bolti band.” (We won!! Well played, Abhishek Bachchan… On one side, the tongue stumbled, and on the other, without batting, bowling, or fielding, we made the opponent falter!! Silence reigns.)
The nation rejoiced on Sunday night as Team India clinched the Asia Cup 2025 title, marking their ninth triumph in this prestigious Continental tournament.
The final, held at the Dubai International Stadium, perfectly encapsulated the fierce India-Pakistan rivalry. Pakistan made a strong start, reaching 113/1 in just 12.4 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46). However, India’s bowlers, spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav’s outstanding four-wicket haul, caused a dramatic collapse, with nine wickets falling for just 33 runs, leaving Pakistan stranded at 146 in 19.1 overs.
The mix-up regarding names between cricketer Abhishek Sharma and Abhishek Bachchan stemmed from Shoaib’s analysis of Pakistan’s prospects in the Asia Cup final during his talk show, Game On Hai. He had stated that if Pakistan could dismiss Abhishek Bachchan early in a hypothetical scenario, it could spell trouble for their middle-order, which has struggled lately.
Actor Abhishek Bachchan responded with humor: “Sir, with all due respect… don’t think they’ll even manage that! And I’m not even good at playing cricket.”