New York T20 World Cup 2024: ‘Release Imran Khan' Banner Flies Over India Vs Pakistan T20 Match

An aircraft carrying a banner with the message 'Release Imran Khan' was observed flying over the stadium during the India versus Pakistan match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 in New York on Sunday.

A video of the incident was shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) on their X handle, accompanied by the caption 'Release Imran Khan'.

Photo Credit: X/ANI

'Release Imran Khan' Banner Seen New York T20 World Cup 2024

Imran Khan, aged 71, who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been detained in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on various charges including the Toshakhana case, cypher case, and un-Islamic marriage case. It is worth mentioning that Imran Khan led Pakistan to victory in their only ODI World Cup win in 1992.

General elections were held in Pakistan in February this year. Allegations concerning the fairness of the elections were raised, with several parties, particularly the PTI, claiming rigging and a lack of a level playing field. PTI, which had lost its election symbol, fielded its candidates as independents.

The independent candidates backed by PTI secured the highest number of seats in the elections. Nevertheless, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and other smaller parties formed the government. Meanwhile, in the match, India had scored 81 runs for the loss of three wickets in 10 overs. Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav were at the crease with scores of 34 and 5 respectively.

Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi took two and one wickets respectively. Pakistan's captain Babar Azam had won the toss and opted to field against Rohit Sharma's Team India in this highly anticipated clash. India retained the same playing XI while Pakistan made one change by replacing Azam Khan with Imad Wasim.

High emotions among passionate fans were anticipated in the stands as India and Pakistan entered the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, adding a new chapter to their historic rivalry on Sunday. In the previous edition of the competition, India secured a thrilling victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2022, thanks to Virat Kohli's heroics.

This time, Pakistan aimed to avenge their previous loss by winning their first match of the competition, following an incredible collapse against the USA in Dallas. Meanwhile, Rohit's Team India began their T20 WC campaign with a comfortable 8-wicket win over Ireland, while Babar Azam's Pakistan faced an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the US.

The playing XI for Pakistan included Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Babar Azam (captain), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Mohammad Amir. India's playing XI consisted of Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.