Feud between Irfan Pathan and Shahid Afridi escalates amid fiery social media exchanges

The long-running spat between former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi shows no signs of cooling down. The latest episode appears to have been triggered by Afridi’s recent remarks during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, in which he claimed that some people from India are “obsessed” with his name.

The controversy initially began in August 2025, when Pathan recounted an altercation with Afridi during a flight in an interview with Lallantop. According to Pathan, Afridi had been dismissive, referring to him as a “kid” in front of teammate Abdul Razzaq. 

Afridi has since dismissed Pathan’s story as false, calling him “not a real man” and insisting that he only respects individuals who confront him directly. “I consider those people men who can say things face to face and who will look me in the eye. He keeps talking behind my back. How do I respond to his lies?” Afridi said in a recent video that quickly went viral.

Pathan reacted promptly on X (formerly Twitter), taking a jab at Afridi while referencing his earlier comments: “Aap Log sahi kehte hain: ‘Ye padosi X players aur media Irfan Pathan ke naam se obsessed hain.’”

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The tension between the two cricketing nations has been further fuelled by on-field incidents, including the Asia Cup Group A match where Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team reportedly refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts following a seven-wicket victory. This sparked criticism from former Pakistan players such as Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf, and Shoaib Akhtar.

The feud between Pathan and Afridi, blending on-field controversies with social media exchanges, shows that the rivalry between the former stars remains far from over.