BJP posted the 2007 T20 bowl-out video to mock Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, drawing a parallel between Pakistan’s missed stumps in cricket and failed drone and missile strikes in the recent conflict.
On Thursday, May 15, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a sharp jab at the Pakistan armed forces by posting a throwback video from the 2007 T20 World Cup, where India famously defeated Pakistan in a tense bowl-out. The match had ended in a tie, leading to a bowl-out, a rare format at the time, akin to a penalty shootout in football as the Super Over had not yet become a standard method of resolving tied games.. In the bowl-out, each team nominated five players to attempt to hit the unguarded stumps.
Under the leadership of captain MS Dhoni, India chose Robin Uthappa, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag as their first three bowlers. All three successfully hit the stumps, giving India a commanding lead. In contrast, Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, and Shahid Afridi failed to strike the target, handing India a 3–0 victory in the shootout and sealing one of the most memorable wins in the history of India-Pakistan cricket.
Drawing a parallel between this cricketing triumph and recent military developments, the BJP likened the 2007 bowl-out to Operation Sindoor, a major offensive conducted by the Indian armed forces earlier in the month. The operation resulted in the elimination of over 100 terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), along with the deaths of more than 30 Pakistani military personnel. Indian drone and missile strikes also inflicted significant damage on Pakistani air bases and aircraft.
In response, Pakistan launched a series of drones and missiles of its own, but none of them achieved their targets, with India’s air defence systems effectively neutralising the threat. The BJP highlighted this contrast on social media, mocking Pakistan’s failed military response by drawing a symbolic connection to their missed attempts in the 2007 bowl-out, portraying both as examples of Pakistan “missing the target” in each case.
