India blocks Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan’s X accounts

Several Indian social media users reported on X that the accounts of prominent Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf, have been blocked in India. Some users also claimed that Mohammad Rizwan and Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official account has been suspended.

Cricket enthusiasts shared screenshots of the cricketers' profiles, displaying the message, "Account not available in India," restricting access for Indian users.

It is pertinent to note that the Indian government has taken a series of hostile measures against Pakistan after accusing Islamabad of involvement in the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where 26 tourists were shot dead.

Since then, India has reportedly escalated digital censorship, blocking its citizens from interacting with well-known Pakistani public figures including actors, cricketers, influencers, and journalists.

Read: India blocks Instagram account of Arshad Nadeem 

In addition, the Indian government has also banned several YouTube news channels, alleging that they were spreading misinformation related to the Pahalgam incident.

Even Pakistani entertainment channels have not been spared, with the government blocking access to them,depriving Indian audiences of widely popular Pakistani dramas and entertainment content.

Critics have questioned the rationale behind such extreme measures, urging the Indian government to pursue diplomatic channels and make sincere efforts to identify the real perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack instead of stifling cross-border engagement.