The face of Danesh Kaneria, a Pakistani cricketer, has been erased from the Sawai Mansingh Cricket Stadium in Jaipur. He played 79 international matches over seven years. After the Pahalgam attack, Kaneria shared a video blaming Pakistan for the assault.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the attack, which killed 26 people. The Indian army launched airstrikes on nine Pakistani terrorist camps. The tension affected sports, too. The Indian Premier League was postponed for about a week. The Pakistan Super League was also canceled before the ceasefire.
The Rajasthan Cricket Association ordered the removal of all Pakistani cricketers’ photos from the stadium. Kaneria’s picture was taken down. The stadium has a gallery with many players’ photos outside the association’s office. This decision was made due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan. The stadium is home to the Rajasthan Royals and hosted matches in IPL 2025.
Kaneria took 261 wickets in 61 test matches and 15 wickets in 18 one-day matches. He accused the Pakistani team of discriminating against him for being Hindu.
After the Pahalgam attack, Kaneria held Pakistan responsible. He questioned the silence of Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Kaneria asked why Sharif hadn’t condemned the attack if Pakistan wasn’t involved. He alleged that Pakistan harbors terrorism.