It is said that sports and politics do not mix, or, rather, should not mix. Over the past week, under the backdrop of the T20 Cricket World Cup, it has become clear that sports and politics, are, in fact, indivisible.

The India vs Pakistan match started it all off. In recent years, Pakistan has suffered cricketing isolation while India has risen to the financial apex of the cricketing hierarchy. It was thus that Pakistanis revelled in victory, but the story that stood out was the sportsmanship shown by India’s captain Virat Kohli through his effusive congratulations to Pakistan’s game-winning batting pair.

Within a few hours, the feel-good factor on both sides of the border had been replaced by hate and propaganda. Indian Muslim bowler Mohammad Shami was subjected to horrific online abuse by Hindu right-wing trolls, some even calling for him to ‘return to Pakistan’, while two Pakistani ministers poured fuel on the fire. Sheikh Rashid explicitly declared Pakistan’s win a “victory of Islam”, celebrated by Muslims in India too — doing the latter no favour. Cricketing icon Waqar Younis chimed in by mocking ‘Hindus’ who were on the field while a Pakistani player offered prayers.