Karachi Kings Hit Back at Punjab Kings Over Asia Cup 2025 Banner Controversy

Punjab Kings created a controversial banner for the India-Pakistan match during the Asia Cup 2025. The banner was not intended to portray any Pakistani symbols, but it sparked significant outrage on social media, with many people accusing it of disrespect and political bias.
 
In response, Karachi Kings posted a clever image of their captain, Salman Ali Agha, playing chess but intentionally obscured the Indian captain’s face in shadow. This creative response was widely praised as an impressive way to address the controversy.

A social media war has erupted between the IPL (Indian Premier League) and PSL (Pakistan Super League). The rivalry between the Punjab Kings from the IPL and the Karachi Kings from the PSL intensified the tension before the big Asia Cup match started. The Punjab Kings recently released a poster featuring only the Indian logo, deliberately omitting Pakistan’s name. This decision has sparked anger among cricket fans, who believe the Punjab Kings are conceding defeat.
                                           
Some fans have even drawn parallels to WWE star John Cena’s famous phrase, “You Can’t See Me,” suggesting that Pakistan is being deliberately ignored. Due to the ongoing IPL vs. PSL conflict, fans are increasingly focused on the off-field drama surrounding the tournaments.

Karachi Kings responded powerfully and engagingly to Punjab Kings’ controversial post. This poster was not just a picture but a clever and respectful response to the Punjab Kings’ inappropriate move.

The Punjab Kings’ decision to remove Pakistani logos was seen as contrary to the spirit of cricket, sparking a global debate. Fans accused the Punjab Kings of pursuing a political agenda, and this issue extended beyond just the French community. It raised the broader question among the public and experts: “Should sports be separate from politics?”

In response to the criticism, the Punjab Kings were compelled to turn off comments on their posts due to the backlash from fans who disapproved of their actions.

The match between India and Pakistan occurred at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with both teams entering the tournament in great form. India comfortably won their game against the UAE by 57 runs, while Pakistan restricted Oman to 67 runs, having scored 160 runs themselves. Historically, India has maintained a strong record against Pakistan, leading with 13 wins to 3 losses. The high-stakes nature of this rivalry is intensified by the emotions surrounding the franchises involved.

The Punjab Kings took an unprecedented action by removing the logo of their opposing team from a promotional poster. While the Indian captain Kumar Yadav and the BCCI logo were prominently displayed, the PCB logo was replaced with a blank white space. This decision is directly connected to the ongoing call for a boycott of Pakistan in India, which arose after the Pulwama terror attack, leading to a stance of not playing cricket against Pakistan at all.

The Pakistan vs. India match in the Asia Cup 2025 was extraordinary. This contest was not just about cricket; it represented the emotions and honor of two nations, drawing large crowds of fans from both sides. The rivalry was intensified by a lively exchange on social media, where enthusiastic support and sarcasm from both countries kept the competition alive. This ongoing controversy further fueled tensions among fans on various platforms, ensuring that the rivalry remained as intense as ever.

Fans quickly took to social media after the controversy to express their reactions. Supporters of the Karachi Kings praised the team’s creative and clever response, while some Indian fans criticized the Punjab Kings’ actions, labeling them a “cheap stunt” and a “foolish move.”

The chess poster created by Karachi Kings serves as a creative example of maintaining dignity in response to provocations. In the poster, Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha is depicted in deep thought, while the Indian captain remains in shadow. This imagery counters the Punjab Kings’ attempt to diminish Pakistan’s presence. Overall, Karachi Kings effectively made India feel irrelevant in their promotional material. The response garnered immense fan praise, and the PSL franchise was commended for “standing up for the nation.”

The original post by Punjab Kings and the subsequent response from Karachi Kings quickly went viral. Amid a flurry of hashtags and memes, the promotional controversy sparked humorous critiques related to “India vs. John Cena.” This led to a debate on social media regarding content copying between the two teams. Indian fans accused Karachi Kings of mimicking a shadow figure with a blank space. Nevertheless, this viral controversy drew significant attention to the high-stakes matches.

This drama was a large-scale “fan war” between the IPL and PSL. On social media, both franchises’ accounts were indirectly targeting each other. At the same time, fans from both countries criticized one another while supporting their respective franchises. This behavior heightened the rivalry between the two franchises and intensified the competition between the PSL and IPL. Such situations often arise whenever a cricket match begins, but the franchises involved in this controversy take the social media drama to a new level.

Following the criticism of the Punjab Kings’ post and the excellent response from the Karachi Kings, the entire incident quickly began trending online. The removal of the Pakistani logo was viewed as disrespectful, which heightened fans’ emotions. When the Punjab Kings closed the comment section, many fans interpreted that move as admitting their mistake. This drama sparked a new digital battleground within the cricket community, where every post, caption, and emoji can be scrutinised and analysed.

The poster created by the Karachi Kings serves as a symbolic response to the Punjab Kings’ boycott. While the Punjab Kings completely disregard Pakistan, the Karachi Kings strategically placed the Indian captain in the background to convey a powerful message: if you ignore our presence, we will render your existence irrelevant in the realm of cricket. Through this response, the PSL franchise made it clear that it will not overlook any political or unsportsmanlike actions from the IPL but instead will respond creatively and assertively.