"This looks like a team from 'Popatwadi'": Cricketing Legend Gavaskar on Pakistan Team at Asia Cup

Sept 15, 2025: Speaking to the anchor of cricket show on Sony LIV on September 14 after the Asia Cup India Pakistan clash at Dubai, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his dissatisfaction on the Pakistan team. On being asked to express his opinion, Gavaskar used the team "Popatwadi Team" to describe the Pakistan outfit playing at the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, post their performance against India. Pakistan were soundly beaten by India, who, after bowling out the Pakistan team clinically, chased down the target with 7 wickets and 25 balls to spare.

Gavaskar was seemingly unhappy with the quality and experience of Pakistan team, hence used the term 'Popatwadi team' to signifiy that this did not look like a professional Pakistani outfit, like the ones he has been seeing over the last 60 years. Gavaskar, in response to a question by the host and interacting with panel members Ajay Jadeja, Irfan Pathan and Virendra Sehwag, said that he has been seeing and playing the Pakistan cricket team from the 1960s, when the likes of Hanif Mohammad were a part of the Pakistan cricket team. Having observed the various Pakistan teams at close quarters, the current T20 outfit playing the Asia Cup were like a "Popatwadi Team".

Gavaskar has used this term earlier in 2016, when he was unhappy with the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore RCB. He had called the Royal Challengers bowling attack a "Popatwadi" attack, a critique of the RCB bowling attack perceived to be weak and unimpressive for a tournament like the IPL. Both Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan had objected to this term, asking for a more respectful approach in evaluating players.

India, meanwhile, restricted Pakistan to 127 for the loss of 9 wickets in their first encounter in the Asia Cup 2025 and later chased down the target with the same clinical precision, losing three wickets and a superb batting performance by opener Abhishek Sharma and skipper Suryakumar, who hit the winning six.

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