Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi blocked in India; No ban on Shahid Afridi

Following the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam, the government of India blocked the Instagram accounts of several Pakistan cricket players. Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi, alongside popular actors and actresses like Hania Aamir and Ali Fazal, faced restrictions on their Instagram accounts.

As per reports, 26 people were killed and several others injured in a tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. In response, the Indian government decided to block the YouTube channels and Instagram accounts of some former Pakistan cricketers, citing concerns over national security and public order.

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan Blocked in India; No Ban on Shahid Afridi

Users in India are not able to access the Instagram pages of Pakistan cricketers, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. They are receiving a message stating the accounts are unavailable in India.

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“Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content,” the message read when users attempted to access the Instagram handles of the cricketers.

Further steps mentioned the following: “We received a legal request to restrict this content. We reviewed it against our policies and conducted a legal and human rights assessment. After the review, we restricted access to the content in the location where it goes against local law,” Instagram said.

Despite making controversial remarks against the Indian Army, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s account on the microblogging platform is still accessible in India, with no action taken so far.

These India-Pakistan tensions raise questions about their potential impact on cricketing ties. Notably, the two nations have not engaged in a bilateral series since 2013. They will play only in ICC and ACC tournaments.

Indian Government Blocks Several Pakistani Channels on YouTube

Several Pakistani YouTube channels were restricted in India this week. The Indian government took this action due to the content on these channels, which was deemed provocative, communally sensitive, and spreading false narratives against India, its military, and security agencies.

Former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, and Shahid Afridi's YouTube accounts were blocked. These channels target audiences in India and generate significant revenue from YouTube. Arshad Nadeem, the Pakistani Olympic gold-winning javelin thrower's Instagram account, is also inaccessible in India.

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi are Currently Playing in the Pakistan Super League 2025

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi are currently participating in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Babar represents Peshawar Zalmi, and Rizwan plays for Multan Sultans. The cricketers had also visited India in 2023 for the ODI World Cup.

Babar has amassed 4,235 runs in 59 Tests at an average of 47.02, including nine centuries and 29 half-centuries, with a best score of 196. He has scored 6,235 runs from 131 ODI matches at an impressive average of 55.18. Babar was not in the scheme of things for the shortest international format.

Also read: India vs Bangladesh 2025 tour on the brink of cancellation