A whirlwind of on-line banter has gripped social media, intertwining with the high-stakes geopolitical local weather between India and Pakistan.
Did Shikhar Dhawan actually troll Pakistan?
Within the aftermath of the devastating Pahalgam terror assault and India’s subsequent retaliatory ‘Operation Sindoor’—a focused army strike on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)—a seemingly innocuous picture of former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan sipping tea has ignited a digital firestorm, extensively interpreted as a refined jab on the Pakistani Military. Nonetheless, a better take a look at the viral sensation reveals a extra complicated narrative, removed from the speedy post-operation taunt it was perceived to be.
The genesis of this social media skirmish might be traced again to the vital remarks made by former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi on the Indian Military, whom he blamed for failing to forestall the current Pahalgam assault.
Ex-India opener Dhawan swiftly retorted on X, reminding Afridi of India’s decisive army triumphs, together with the Kargil Warfare, and unequivocally expressing his satisfaction within the Indian armed forces. Afridi, not one to again down, responded with a jibe of his personal, inviting Dhawan for “tea”—a transparent reference to the long-lasting “tea is improbable” meme that has incessantly surfaced within the context of India-Pakistan exchanges, significantly after previous army encounters.
Following the profitable execution of ‘Operation Sindoor,’ {a photograph} of Dhawan leisurely having fun with tea in a swimming pool started to flow into furiously throughout social media platforms. Accompanied by the provocative caption, “Aur kaisi lagi chai padosiyon?” (How was the tea, neighbours?), the picture quickly went viral, amassing over 7 million views on X, and was extensively believed to be Dhawan’s direct, meme-laden response to the current army actions and Afridi’s earlier feedback.
Aur kaisi lagi chai padosiyon 👀😜 pic.twitter.com/bCZdpVUEd6
— Shikkar Dhawen🐦 (@76off43) Might 7, 2025
Nonetheless, an intensive fact-check dismantles this standard notion. Investigations reveal that the viral tea {photograph} was not, in actual fact, posted by Shikhar Dhawan in response to ‘Operation Sindoor.’ The picture had been initially shared by Dhawan on his official social media accounts months earlier, on February 7, 2024, lengthy earlier than the current army operation and the following on-line spat. The present viral submit originated from a parody account working below the deal with ‘Shikkar Dhawen,’ moderately than Dhawan’s verified profile. Social media customers and meme creators had merely repurposed the older picture to create a mocking narrative geared toward Afridi and Pakistan inside the context of the heightened tensions, with none direct involvement from Dhawan himself in its current circulation or captioning.
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Shikhar Dhawan’s response on Operation Sindoor
Whereas the ‘tea picture’ was a misattribution, Dhawan did, from his official account, tackle the grave state of affairs instantly. His subsequent posts learn, “India takes a stand in opposition to terrorism,” and “Respect to our courageous hearts for safeguarding our borders with such power and stopping the drone assault on Jammu. India stands sturdy. Jai Hind,” articulating his help for the Indian army’s actions with out resorting to memes or oblique taunts.
India takes a stand in opposition to terrorism. भारत माता की जय! 🇮🇳
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) Might 7, 2025
Respect to our courageous hearts for safeguarding our borders with such power and stopping the drone assault on Jammu. India stands sturdy. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) Might 8, 2025
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