During the World Cup match between Pakistan and India in the week, Imam-ul-Haq was out for a total score of 36 runs while facing Hardik Pandya's delivery. Before Hardik Pandya bowled the ball that got Imam-ul-Haq out, he seemingly read something on the ball held in his hand, then ran in and had Imam-ul-Haq caught behind the wickets.
A video of Hardik Pandya seemingly reading 'Mantra' on the ball went viral. However, when asked about it, Hardik Pandya mentioned that he was jokingly saying himself that he should have bowled with more Line and Length.
After getting Imam-ul-Haq out, Pandya gestured for him to leave, which drew criticism from Pakistani fans.
This video led to discussions on social media, with some speculating that Pandya had spat on the ball, while others suggested he might have read some sort of mantra before delivering it.