The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ignited a social media stir by drawing a parallel between India's victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup bowl-out against Pakistan and the recent "Operation Sindoor," a military response to a terror attack in Pahalgam. The BJP's official X account posted a video clip of the bowl-out, sarcastically mocking Pakistan's failure.
The 31-second video clip showcases the dramatic bowl-out from the inaugural T20 World Cup where Indian bowlers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Robin Uthappa successfully hit the stumps. In contrast, Pakistani bowlers Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, and Shahid Afridi missed their targets. The BJP captioned the video "Kuch aisa tha #OperationSindoor". This translates to "It was something like that" and is a not-so-subtle jab at Pakistan's reported unsuccessful military retaliation following India's Operation Sindoor.
Operation Sindoor was initiated by the Indian armed forces on May 7 in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people. The operation targeted nine terror camps of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Reportedly, over 100 terrorists were killed.
The BJP likened the clean sweep in the cricket bowl-out to the Indian defense systems' total interception of Pakistan's retaliatory drone and missile attacks, which failed to hit any Indian targets. Drones, UAVs, and missiles launched towards Indian bases in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat were intercepted before they could cause damage.
The post quickly gained traction online, with many interpreting the cricket analogy as a commentary on the perceived precision and effectiveness of India's recent military strikes compared to Pakistan's response. By drawing a comparison between India's sporting glory in 2007 and its recent military achievement, the BJP is using cultural memory to reinforce national pride. The bowl-out match is a historic moment in Indian cricket, symbolically echoing India's dominance and preparedness, both on the pitch and in strategic defense.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have eased following a ceasefire agreement. After four days of escalation, a ceasefire understanding was reached on May 10 and remains in effect.
