The much-anticipated contest of the ICC World Cup 2019 India vs Pakistan cricket match saw the former winning and maintaining their clean sweep with addition to 6-0 to make it 7-0. India outplayed Pakistan by 89 runs after setting a target of 337 runs. Social media had been the warming zone for quite some time with cricketing fans from both countries coming up with videos, ads, memes, and jokes rooting for the victory of their respective countries. And as after India won the match, Twitter was flooded with memes, jokes and congratulatory messages for the Indian team. While social media looked divided on their opinion, photo of a couple wearing half Indian and half Pakistani jersey has gone viral on social media. Netizens termed the couple as the ones rooting for ‘peace’ during the match between arch-rivals.
Before the start of the game, as broadcasters tried to capture the energy and enthusiasm of the fans just outside the stadium, they spotted a unique couple that had very unique gears stitched for themselves. In the age where India-Pak rivalry has reached to a dangerous level where there are so many commercials made to depress the opposition by every means, the fanbases wars on the social media, mind games played to demotivate the competitors, this couple was seen as a pond of fresh water in the deserts. The only message they wanted to give was of peace. The true spirit of the game was raised by this sweet gesture.
The husband is from Pakistan, the wife an Indian, the duo decided to stitch jerseys representing both countries together. Both are Canadian citizens and were spotted watching the match in England. The couple’s pictures were quick to go viral on social media with many appreciating their display of unity by upholding the spirit of the game. One of the comments read, “World needs more and more people like them! They really brought a smile to my face!”
The India-Pakistan game intensity over the years has just been more than for the game. With the citizens on both sides of the boundaries trying to mock each other, this is high time to somehow put a check on this. The main motto of this sport is to promote brotherhood and healthy competitiveness not only between the teams but also across nations.
