Is Peshawar Zalmi eyeing Rihanna for PSL 2021 anthem?

Peshawar Zalmi fans are curious and excited at the same time about the wild prospect of the franchise engaging pop queen Rihanna for the team's anthem ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) sixth season, which is set to start February 20.

Speculation about the Peshawar Zalmi hiring Rihanna gained traction after Pakistani businessperson and the franchise's owner, Javed Afridi, dropped a mysterious post on his official Twitter account days before the PSL 2021 is set to commence.

"RIHANNA FOR ZALMI ANTHEM," Afridi wrote on Twitter, adding a big red question mark.

The Fenty Beauty founder recently made headlines after speaking up about India's farmers protest that have escalated over the last few months.

"Why aren’t we talking about this," she wrote on Twitter, sharing an article about the movement and using the hashtag #FarmersProtest.

Also read: Twitter roasts India's BJP trolls after Rihanna's farmers protest tweet

Rihanna's tweet sent Bollywood celebrities — including the controversial Kangana Ranaut — scrambling to somehow one-up the pop icon for speaking against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agricultural reforms.

Celebrities speak for India's #FarmersProtest

There is no indication as to what caused Rihanna — whose songs have done well in India — to suddenly speak up about the grievances of the tens of thousands of farmers who have blocked roads leading into New Delhi for more than two months, sheltering in tractors from the cold.

Read more: Chaos in New Delhi as protesting farmers hoist their flag on Red Fort

Last week, Indian police shut down the internet, dug ditches, drove nails into roads, and topped barricades with razor wire to prevent farmers from entering New Delhi after a tractor rally by farmers in the capital turned violent.

Led by Sikh farmers from the wheat and rice-growing state of Punjab in India’s north, the movement has gained a lot of traction considering that big names, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, have raised their voices in solidarity.

Related:

Explainer: Why are the farmers protesting in India?

Twitter sides with Rihanna as Kangana Ranaut yells back at pop queen

Fawad Chaudhry lauds Rihanna for tweet on India's farmer protests