Australian Podcasters Face Extremism at IPL Event

Two Australian cricket podcasters shared a troubling experience at an IPL event in Mumbai, where they were confronted with extremist anti-Pakistan remarks.
Sam Perry and Ian Higgins, hosts of the popular podcast The Grade Cricketer, were in India for the IPL when they encountered public hate speech during a live show in Mumbai.

An audience member asked them about India and Pakistan not playing cricket anymore. At first, it seemed like playful banter, but the tone quickly changed when the person stated, “Pakistan as a state will cease to exist.” The crowd reacted with nervous laughter and silence.

The podcasters, shocked, noted this was not a joke but a sign of growing extremism. They linked this mindset to rising hate speech being normalized by Indian media and politics.

The incident, they said, went beyond cricket—it highlighted dangerous nationalism that seeks to erase Pakistan.

They urged the international community to acknowledge this toxic trend in India’s public discourse, especially in events meant to promote unity through sports.