The historical animosities between India and Pakistan were back in the limelight not only on the cricket field in the Asia Cup but also on the football field in the SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka. While the senior cricket match was foregrounded for its combative encounters and politically explosive character, the youth football match was equally inflammatory.
At the midst of the controversy were a chain of provocative Pakistani celebrations which drew parallels with emotive incidents from recent India-Pakistan military confrontations. On the pitch during the Asia Cup, fast bowler Haris Rauf and batter Sahibzada Farhan were accused of taunting gestures that seemed to be making comparisons with the horrific Pahalgam terror attack and the highly debated Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The gestures saw general criticism, and the tone spilled over into the U-17 universe.
Also Read: PSG’s Ousmane Dembele wins Ballon d’Or 2025 leaving behind Lamine Yamal
In a Group B table-determining decider, India hosted Pakistan in Colombo. India took the lead by going 1-0 up, but on the half-hour mark, Pakistani forward Muhammad Abdullah scored from a penalty kick to level the scores at 1-1. His celebration was however quickly in trouble.
Abdullah ran to the corner flag and, joined by some teammates, doing a “tea-drinking” gesture. Though it may have seemed light-hearted on the surface, many Indian fans quickly associated it with the arrest of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, who was caught sipping tea while in Pakistani captivity and heroically joked, “The tea is fantastic.” The video had now become a viral, symbolic clip in India-Pakistan military history.
“The Tea was fantastic” celebration in Pakistan vs India U17 football match 🙈pic.twitter.com/3SpVf4fTa7
— I b r a h e e m (@Ibraheeeeem92) September 22, 2025
Fueling more controversy, Abdullah made the tea gesture with a movement that seemed to simulate an airplane crash a gesture eerily similar to Haris Rauf’s recent on-field celebration that is widely believed to be in reference to the Pakistani claim of shooting down six Indian planes this year.
Unperturbed by the gestures, the Indian U-17 team retaliated where it mattered most on the scoreboard. India regained their lead after halftime at 2-1, only for Pakistan to again equalize the scores. But in the 74th minute, Rahan Ahmed snapped the winning goal to take a thrilling 3-2 victory for India. The victory ensured India topped Group B with a perfect record of 9 points and booked a semifinal encounter with Nepal. Pakistan, the runner-up, will face Bangladesh in their semifinal.
