After India Refused to Play Against Pakistan, Ajay Devgan’s Video and Photo with Afridi Go Viral!
Birmingham: After senior Indian cricketers declined to play against arch-rival Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL), a video and photo of Bollywood actor and WCL co-owner Ajay Devgan chatting amicably with Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi have gone viral on social media.
This is the second season of the WCL. In the inaugural 2024 edition, India had defeated Pakistan in the final to clinch the first-ever title.
In May, a brief war broke out between India and Pakistan, which ended in just three days with India’s decisive victory. The conflict ended only after Pakistan called for a ceasefire, leading India to halt its attacks on key installations.
Despite deep-seated anger among millions of Indian cricket fans towards Pakistan, the WCL organizers scheduled a match between India and Pakistan. However, top Indian players like Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh refused to play, leading to the cancellation of Sunday’s match.
Amid this backdrop, the now-viral video and photo of Ajay Devgan speaking to Shahid Afridi on the field have triggered a wave of criticism in India.
Given Afridi’s past remarks—often critical of Indian armed forces and India’s stance toward Pakistan—the video sparked outrage online, with many condemning Ajay Devgan for being cordial with him on such a public platform. Some social media users have even begun calling for a boycott of Devgan’s upcoming film “Son of Sardaar 2.”
However, upon fact-checking the incident, it was revealed that the video and photos are not from 2025, but from 2024, during the final of the first WCL season between India and Pakistan.
Ajay Devgan, as a co-owner of the tournament, was present at Edgbaston Stadium in England during that final and had a brief conversation with Afridi at that time. The images and footage are unrelated to the current political situation between the two nations.