Former India player and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu turned 62 on October 20, and wishes poured in from all corners of the cricketing world. Among them, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan sent a special post wishing Sidhu on social media, saying he had great admiration and love for the veteran. Sidhu, being himself, shot back with a tearful note that quickly went viral.

The two cricket commentators have been loved by fans for their entertaining commentary and friendly banter. Sidhu and Pathan have made audiences laugh, think, and appreciate cricket in a different way. No matter how controversial or critical of the crew they are, they impressed fans with their charm and deep understanding of the game.

Posting his birthday wish on X (formerly Twitter), Pathan said, "Subah Jalandhar sham ko Delhi Nahi. Shamko mere Ghar pe apka birthday sath me. @sherryontopp Paaji wishing you the best birthday. Have a great one."

Sidhu's Heartwarming Reply Wins Fans Over

Sidhu, a person with a poetic spirit and a positive vibe, responded with love, saying, "Zaroor Irfan, tum No.1 commentator ho aur No.1 insaan ho. Your wishes are my armour... truckloads of love." His emotional words reflected the deep mutual respect between the two. Pathan later replied, “Apka pyaar hamesha bana rahe,” showing the bond they share both on and off the field.

Zaroor Irfan , tum no 1 commentator ho aur no 1 insaan ho …. Your wishes are my armour … truckloads of love 🥰

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) October 20, 2025

See Also: 'Pyar Aur Roshni Se Bhari Ye Diwali' – Shikhar Dhawan and girlfriend Sophie Shine celebrate diwali together

Navjot Singh Sidhu played for India between 1983 and 1999, appearing in 51 Tests and 156 ODIs and scoring 3202 and 4413 runs, respectively. Irfan Pathan, however, appeared in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is and scored 2821 runs and took 301 wickets overall. Despite being from different eras of cricket, their friendship as Indian Premier League as well as international cricket commentary is still making fans around the world happy.

As the country went glowing with Diwali lights, the cricketing world was seen getting along with the jolly festival spirit of joy and togetherness. The festival seen cricketers along with their families and loved ones join the festivities, which was a scene filled with warmth, laughter, and lots of lights. Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan joined the celebrations and was seen going with his girlfriend, Sophie Shine.

Shikhar Dhawan and Sophie Shine, who live in Ireland, tweeted out a peek of their Diwali celebrations on October 20. The two looked beautiful as they celebrated the spirit of the festival, sitting together in traditional Indian dress. Their bright picture gained attention within seconds, and the comments section was soon filled with festive greetings and appreciations.

In his Instagram post, Dhawan posted a lovely Diwali message for his fans, stating, "Pyar aur roshni se bhari ye Diwali sabke jeevan mein khushiyan laaye!" (May this Diwali, with love and light, bring happiness into everyone's life). His post was absolutely iconic of the warmth of the festival as well as his approach to life post-cricket.

Shikhar Dhawan and Sophie Shine’s Growing Bond

This is not the first time Sophie Shine has been spotted embracing Indian culture with Dhawan. The couple last visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain a few weeks ago to attend the divine Bhasma Aarti of Lord Mahakal. Photos of the couple asking blessings from God went viral, and fans were appreciative of the couple's devotion and bond.

Shikhar Dhawan celebrating Diwali. 🪔 pic.twitter.com/43SFcncLKt

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 20, 2025

See Also: Top 3 reasons why Bangladesh-W lost to Sri Lanka-W in the Women's World Cup 2025 match 21

Shikhar Dhawan, who had retired from international cricket in August 2024, still remains one of India's most beloved erstwhile cricketers. A winner of the 2013 Champions Trophy as well as an Asia Cup champion twice, Dhawan played for India in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs, and 68 T20Is. Famous for his wide smile and aggressive batting, Dhawan's Diwali celebrations with Sophie Shine have again reminded everyone why he is still such a popular figure, on as well as off the field.

Recently, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin unmasked a fraudster pretending to be Australian cricketer Adam Zampa, who attempted to deceive Ashwin into giving him contact numbers of Indian players. This again highlights the impersonation attempts that cricketers often face online because of the global popularity and following that cricketers have. Ashwin, who is famous for his sarcasm both in and outside the cricket field, tackled the situation intelligently and even posted screenshots of the funny conversation on his Instagram page.

The impersonator, who claimed to be Adam Zampa, had called Ashwin on WhatsApp and asked for phone numbers of players like Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube. Ashwin simply played along, feigning consent before turning the tables on the imposter. Sharing the exchange, he captioned his Instagram story: “Fake Adam Zampa tries to strike.” Fans were amused by his calm and humorous response to the scam attempt.

Interestingly, when the impersonator insisted he already had MS Dhoni’s number, Ashwin asked him to share it instead, which left the fake Zampa speechless. Fans applauded Ashwin's quick thinking and sense of humor regarding the online scammers.

Ashwin Reveals Previous Impersonation Incident and Defends Harshit Rana

This isn’t the first time Ashwin has dealt with impostors. He recalled a past encounter where someone pretended to be his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Devon Conway and asked for Virat Kohli’s phone number. Realizing it was fake, Ashwin immediately blocked the person.

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/vPPSeqrvbz

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) October 19, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] Ravichandran Ashwin slams Gautam Gambhir for Kuldeep Yadav's omission from AUS vs IND 1st ODI

Recently, Ashwin also defended young pacer Harshit Rana after his poor outing against Australia in the first ODI. He urged fans not to make personal attacks on players, saying, “We can criticize their cricketing skills, but it shouldn’t get personal. It may be funny once or twice, but it shouldn’t be a running theme.” His mature response reinforced his image as one of Indian cricket’s most respected voices on and off the field.

Dhanashree Verma, former wife of Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, has been making several accusations against him on the OTT reality show “Rise and Fall.” The couple got divorced on March 20, 2025, after the Bandra family court in Mumbai approved their joint petition for mutual consent. They were married in December 2020 but had been living separately since June 2022.

Amid the controversy, Chahal appeared in a funny reel with his close friend and former India opener Shikhar Dhawan. In the video, a voice in the background says, “We’ll get you married, son. Let me get married first.” The clip shows Dhawan acting as Chahal’s father, creating a light-hearted moment that quickly went viral on social media.

Chahal looks surprised in the video and asks, “Papa, are you married?” Dhawan’s girlfriend, Sophie Shine, then appears, and Dhawan jokes, “This is your third mother.” Chahal, shocked and holding his head, reacts in disbelief while Dhawan offers him something to eat. The fun exchange left fans amused and brought some humor amid the tense headlines surrounding Chahal’s personal life.

Dhawan’s New Chapter and Chahal’s Cricket Comeback

Shikhar Dhawan announced retirement from all forms of international and domestic cricket on August 24, 2024. He has since been busy with many Legends leagues across the globe. He became news recently by deciding against playing against Pakistan in World Championship of Legends in England, evidencing his hardline national approach.

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A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial)

See Also: Rahul Dravid’s son named Karnataka U-19 captain in Vinoo Mankad Trophy

Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal is focusing on making his return to the Indian team. The IPL’s highest wicket-taker last played international cricket in August 2023. For Punjab Kings last season, he took 16 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 26.88. The 35-year-old now aims to perform well in domestic cricket and earn his comeback.

The Japan Cricket Association (JCA) recently grabbed worldwide attention with a fun Instagram post that posed a "What if?" scenario to fans. They asked what if any of these legends decided to come out of T20I retirement to play for Japan, mentioning Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, and many other cricketing legends. The viral post highlighted the enduring popularity of these players, especially Kohli, who is loved even in emerging cricket countries like Japan.

Kohli, who retired from T20I cricket in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025 to concentrate on ODIs, remains a cricketing powerhouse. He is still a huge figure in the sport of cricket, as of 2025, he has amassed a world record for the most ODI centuries with 51. He also recently became the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs, which he did in 287 innings during the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Kohli is set to return to international cricket in a three-match ODI series against Australia, starting on October 19 in Perth. Shubman Gill is India’s new ODI captain, and Shreyas Iyer is the vice-captain. Even so, Kohli’s presence will be very important for the team. His experience will help India stay strong, especially in tough overseas conditions like Australia.

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A post shared by Japan Cricket Association｜日本クリケット協会 (@japan_cricket)

See Also: "End of..."- Rohit Sharma's old-shared cryptic post goes viral after Shubman Gill becomes India's new ODI captain

India vs Australia ODI Series Schedule:

• 1st ODI: Oct 19, 2025 – Perth Stadium, Perth, 9:00 AM IST
• 2nd ODI: Oct 23, 2025 – Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 9:00 AM IST
• 3rd ODI: Oct 25, 2025 – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, 9:00 AM IST

Kohli has a wonderful record against Australia in ODIs. He has made 2,367 runs in 49 matches at an average of 53.79, with eight hundreds and 14 fifties as part of the tally. The return of the India captain will be music to the ears of fans, as they are eager to see him adding more runs to his tally. His return to experience a team going through a leadership transition will add stability. This upcoming series is set to be thrilling, with Kohli set to sparkle once again on the world stage.

Indian batter Abhishek Sharma continued his sensational form during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against Sri Lanka on Friday. By scoring yet another half-century, Abhishek became the first player in history to score over 300 runs in a single edition of the T20 Asia Cup, surpassing Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, who had 281 runs in 2022.

Virat Kohli and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran are tied for third on the list with 196 runs. This match also marked Abhishek’s seventh consecutive score of 30 or more in T20Is, equaling the joint record held by Rizwan and India’s Rohit Sharma. The half-century was more special as it's sixth fifty scored in 25 balls, highlighting his explosive batting in the T20 format.

ALSO READ: Haris Rauf and Suryakumar Yadav fined in Asia Cup 2025 clash

Despite not having a good day on the field, especially in the fielding, India thrashed Pakistan in the Super Fours of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai on Sunday (September 21) night. During the first innings of the match, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan's half-century gesture was really controversial, as many Indians have slammed the Pakistan cricketer for his act. 

Due to the present situation between the two countries, the India vs Pakistan Super Fours match in the Asia Cup 2025 was a heated game, where India won by six wickets with seven balls remaining to successfully chase the 172-run target.

While some Indian fielders had an off-day, Pakistan managed to get a good start, as they scored 91/1 in 10 overs. In that 10th over, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, who was dropped twice by Abhishek Sharma, completed his half-century with a sixer against Axar Patel. He completed his half-century in 34 balls, but then his half-century gesture was unacceptable for the Indians. 

[WATCH] Haris Rauf taunts India to avoid 'Kohli, Kohli' chants during IND vs PAK Super 4 clash in Asia Cup 2025

Watch Sahibzada Farhan's half-century celebration

#Pakistan’s cricketer Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his half century, signifying his bat as a Gun! #Terroristan must not forget that #OperationSindoor is not over! #IndiaVsPakistan2025 #INDvPAK #PakistanCricket

pic.twitter.com/xowvFJhmZo

— Aditi Bhardwaj (@Aditi14Bhardwaj) September 21, 2025

Sahibzada Farhan added last seven runs in 11 balls

Ironically, Pakistan faced downfall from that moment, while Sahibzada Farhan scored 58 off 45 balls before he was dismissed by Shivam Dube, while the Pakistan opener's bat flew away from his hand. After completing his half-century, he added the next seven runs in 11 balls. Despite some firing performance in the late slog over, Pakistan managed to score 171/5, and India comfortably chased the target after a stormy start by the Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. 

Many Indians have slammed Sahibzada Farhan for his half-century celebration. Some Indians have raised questions once again about playing against Pakistan in a tournament in the present situation. 

Pakistani cricketer Sahibzada Farhan mimicked an AK-47 with his bat during a match against India. This isn’t just a gesture — it reflects a deeper problem.

From military generals to actors, doctors to cricketers, radical jihadist symbolism is ingrained in Pakistan’s psyche.… pic.twitter.com/0GsWBKqkfk

— Zahack Tanvir — ضحاك تنوير (@ZahackTanvir) September 21, 2025

Q— What’s Sahibzada Farhan’s favourite band?

A— Guns N’ Loses pic.twitter.com/08l1SSMaJq

— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz)September 21, 2025

A Celebration By Cricketer Or A Terrorist ?

This Is Shameful : Sahibzada Farhan. pic.twitter.com/rDTE8aaNXL

— Vaibhav Bhola 🇮🇳 (@VibhuBhola) September 21, 2025

Pointing the gun towards himself 🔫

After a good start, ending the innings with a strike rate of 129 is nothing less than self-shoot for Sahibzada Farhan #PAKvIND

Learn from Lieutenant Colonel MS Dhoni pic.twitter.com/YVnOdqs2BU

— Harsh Upadhyay (@upadhyay_harsh1) September 21, 2025

Pak player Sahibzada Farhan is celebrating his fifty like this...
How much more shamelessness can be tolerated for the sake of money...#INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/3qqWcYTBR6

— Javed Rashid Khan (@javedrashidINC) September 21, 2025

This is Sahibzada Farhan's celebration after scoring half-century against India. He showed exactly which country he belongs to and what his country’s main business is.
This is the mindset of every Pakistani, terrorism in their blood.#INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/8xERbJB3yu

— Binod (@wittybinod) September 21, 2025

🚨ICC & ACC SHOULD CANCEL THE INDIA vs pakistan MATCH RIGHT NOW AFTER sahibzada faran's 50 CELEBRATION
Shame on BCCI GOVERNMENT ICC & ACC#INDvPAK #PAKvIND #Shame pic.twitter.com/fo2xQqyfpG

— The Tactical Dogout (Why don’t you follow? 🤔👀📲) (@Shivansh_k_c) September 21, 2025

Shameless way of celebration by Sahibzada Farhan after his half century, signifying his bat as gun and pointing it towards Indian Dug out. #INDvPAK #AsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/g7d5YgtCkU

— 22 Yards (@_22Yards)September 21, 2025

Sahibzada Farhan is telling what's the Pak national game 💀
They aren't players...
The are...?#INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/BXywOp1dTF

— Wahida 🇦🇫 (@RealWahidaAFG) September 21, 2025

India batter Sanju Samson marked the occasion of Onam by posting a heartfelt message along with pictures on social media. Celebrating with his wife, Charulatha Remesh, the Kerala cricketer shared four images on Instagram dressed in traditional attire. He captioned the post: “Onam wishes to all from us.”

Away from festivities, Samson is preparing for the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, has been drawn into Group A alongside hosts UAE, Oman, and Pakistan. The 30-year-old batter has played 42 T20Is for India, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 with a strike rate of 152.38, including two fifties and three centuries. His highest score remains 111.

Samson has developed into one of India’s frontline openers alongside Abhishek Sharma after the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, with Test skipper Shubman Gill being appointed vice-captain of the T20I side, competition for the opening spot has intensified, leaving the Kerala batter under pressure to retain his position.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sanju V Samson (@imsanjusamson)

See Also: 'Now I know...'- Gautam Gambhir swags humour on celebration of Teacher's Day in funny social media caption

India’s squad for the Asia Cup

Squad features Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), and Harshit Rana.

India commenced the Day 2 with Karun Nair and Washington Sundar at the crease. But Nair stay was halted as Josh Tongue picked his wicket. Soon after Washington Sundar departed and the English bowlers took no time to dismiss the tailenders.

India ended their innings with just 224 runs on the board. Nair remained the highest scorer for India with 57 runs followed by Sai Sudharsan’s gritty 38 runs off 108 balls. One glaring aspect of the India’s batting collapse was that the tailenders accounted to zero runs.

See Also: Exclusive!! Anil Chaudhary gives insights on ENG vs IND 2025 series and India-Pakistan WCL clashes

As India’s batting succumbed to English attack within 70 overs, twitter was abuzz with its own takes and netizens came up with their narrative after watching the Indian batting wrap up inside the first few overs of the first session.

Here’s how twitter reacted to India’s batting:

Had said to @ABsay_ek yesterday, with @Akshay01shukla that England will come at a good batting rate on this surface, they will take their chances, that India didn't dare to stay full....

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) August 1, 2025

The England bowlers weren't letting us complete even 40 runs and there is our bowlers who is leaking runs, even in this pitch they aren't able to take wickets. Now team India isn't having either a batting depth nor a bowling depth#INDvsENG

— Anushka (@anushkaag2709) August 1, 2025

When India bats, its a bowling pitch

When India bowls, its a batting pitch 🥸#INDvsENG #AndersonTendulkarTrophy

— Vijay (@TechGuy_Vijay) August 1, 2025

another demonstration of attackmaxxing being the most optimal method of batting in hostile conditions.

that's why I wanted these tracks in all games.

slow belters bring accumulators in the game and india has very high quality accumulators.

— AkraBazzi 🇬🇧🍖⚔️ (@BeautyMaxxer) August 1, 2025

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik added a touch of humor to the ongoing Test series between England and India by revealing a doppelganger of Cheteshwar Pujara. Currently part of the broadcast and commentary panel for the series, Karthik shared a light-hearted video on Instagram comparing Pujara with a British sports journalist. The post quickly went viral among fans and fellow commentators.

“What I'm going to show you right now is one cricketer and another person who looks so similar, from a completely different part of the globe. Let me show you all. This is Cheteshwar Pujara, an Indian cricketer and a man who's into broadcasting recently, and have a look at this, this is Alex Noble,” Karthik said in the video. He then asked both individuals if they thought they resembled each other, which led to a hearty laugh among them all. Karthik affectionately dubbed Alex Noble a “proper doppelganger.”

Alex Noble is a sports journalist with BBC Sport, while Cheteshwar Pujara is currently working as part of the broadcast team during the England series. The moment provided a much-needed comic relief amid the intensity of the ongoing Test battle.

Pujara Continues to Wait for India Recall

Pujara, 37, last represented India in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. Since then, he has been consistently overlooked, missing out on both home and away series, including the ongoing five-match tour of England. Despite his vast experience of 103 Tests and over 7000 runs, Pujara has not been selected in favor of younger players.

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A post shared by Dinesh Karthik (@dk00019)

See Also: 'Prepare him for surgical strikes... ' - Former India coach's intriguing advice for Jasprit Bumrah during ENG vs IND 2025 series

Pujara has been active in first-class cricket, scoring 402 runs in seven matches for Saurashtra during the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season, which included a double hundred. While senior pros like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are absent from the current squad, Pujara still hasn’t found a way back into the team. For now, his role behind the mic is the only presence fans can witness during the England tour.