Rani Rampal took to X to point out the difference between cricket and hockey viewers, using the India vs Pakistan match as an example. The former hockey player compared the views on the ongoing match to those of hockey, claiming that ‘people are ready to buy subscriptions for cricket’.
Taking to X, Rampal wrote, “13+ CRORE views and the match just started! People are ready to buy subscriptions for cricket
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The India vs Pakistan match sparked controversy as both captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha, didn’t shake hands during or after the toss. Salman won the toss and opted to bowl, and after speaking to the broadcaster, he left without shaking hands.
Speaking after winning the toss, Suryakumar said, “I think it’s easy to say that it’s just another game, but it is an occasion. These games are always very high stakes, but at the same time, you’ve got to know what you want to do. That’s more important. Stay in the present, back your skills, put your A game forward and be yourself.”
The controversies also affect the match’s viewership. After the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year and rising tensions between both countries, the Indian cricketers refrained from shaking hands with their Pakistan counterparts during the 2025 Asia Cup. They didn’t shake hands either during the toss or after the matches.
Meanwhile, Pakistan was also initially expected to boycott the match against India, as announced by their government. But then a delegation from the ICC managed to cool the situation, and the Pakistan cricket team decided to play the match.
After toss, Pakistan captain Agha said, “It’s a big game. We all know that. But in our group we all are very, very relaxed now. And we’re just focusing on the game and we’re very excited for this challenge. Bigger ground than SSC and the pitch is slower than SSC. But we have been playing on these kind of pitches for the last six months. So we have an idea how to play on these pitches as well.”
