Indian hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh made headlines by mocking Pakistan, mimicking Haris Rauf’s plane-crash gesture during a recent interview.The gesture was initially made by Pakistan cricket fast-bowler Haris Rauf during an Asia Cup 2025 match against India in Dubai. The gesture was interpreted as a taunt toward Indian fans, referring to Pakistan’s unverified claims about downing Indian fighter jets during a border incident in May.Hardik Singh discussed the current state of competition between the Indian and Pakistani hockey teams, emphasising the declining performance of Pakistan. “Yes, there’s no doubt that the competition no longer exists. The graph is not going down, it’s just staying down,” Hardik told India Today, waving his hands from up to down, just like Rauf.“I think their athletes are quite good, but they are not getting facilities. Like in 2014, they had won against us the last time. Since 2014, Pakistan has not won against India in hockey. So I think that in the last what, like twelve years? Yes, we didn’t lose a match,” Hardik added.When questioned about potential regrets over choosing hockey over cricket due to the significant pay difference between the sports, Hardik expressed satisfaction with his choice.“I think that what hockey has given us, no other game can give that. Because when in 2021 our Olympic medal came, I mean the wave that went across the whole country, that hockey medal came after forty years, and then back-to-back medals came. No other feeling can be like that,” Hardik said.The diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated following the Pahalgam terror attack. While India permits matches between the two nations in multi-nation tournaments, it maintains its stance against bilateral contact.Recently, Pakistan declined to participate in the Asia Cup hockey tournament held in India, citing security concerns, despite India’s willingness to issue visas to their team.
