On Saturday, October 3, at Kōrogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Saim Ayub dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the third over of the Asian Games 2026 men’s cricket final. After scoring 15 runs off of nine deliveries, the 15-year-old Indian batsman played a reverse sweep that led to a top edge that Usman Khan caught. Following the ejection, Sooryavanshi was given a baby cradle send-off by Ayub, and he silently returned to the Indian dugout without saying anything.
Kamran Akmal criticised Saim Ayub’s behaviour during the match
Indian fans quickly expressed their disapproval of Ayub’s behaviour toward the kid batter on social media in response to the gesture. Kamran Akmal, a former batsman and wicketkeeper for Pakistan, blasted Ayub’s actions throughout the game. Have you observed that action? How tragic is that? You’re playing excellent cricket. It’s been a long time since you’ve given India competition. “These things don’t look good,” Akmal stated on the YouTube channel Gameplan.
Kamran Akmal continued by outlining the more general issues with Pakistan cricket’s strategy for international games. The former wicketkeeper emphasised that such behaviour weakens the team’s efforts and conveys the incorrect message about the sport’s professional standards.
These incidents have been going on for a while. Although we haven’t done well, we are working on social media. This should be considered by management. Akmal stated, “It’s international cricket. “Regardless of his age—13, 14, or 15—he plays international cricket. Saim Ayub is a grown-up. His performances should be his main priority,” he continued.
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After then, Kamran Akmal spoke candidly about Ayub’s development and concentration as a player. He underlined that regardless of the opponent’s level of expertise, age should not be a justification for acting unprofessionally on the cricket pitch.
After scoring 211 for 6 in 20 overs, including half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, India won the final by 19 runs. It turned out that Ayub’s sole wicket of the game was Sooryavanshi. In four overs, he let up 47 runs, missed two catches, and hit 22 off 29 deliveries. The Pakistani player performed competitively in a high-stakes final, but the send-off event overshadowed it.
