During a thrilling Asia Cup Super Four clash against India, Pakistan’s opening batsman, Sahibzada Farhan, found himself at the center of a swirling controversy. After smashing a half-century, he performed a unique celebration, miming the firing of an AK-47 rifle. This bold gesture, made before a roaring crowd in Dubai, immediately grabbed headlines and sparked widespread debate online.
While some fans lauded it as a fiery display of passion, others strongly condemned it, especially given the intense rivalry and political undertones often associated with an India-Pakistan encounter. Videos of the celebration rapidly went viral across social media platforms, leaving spectators deeply divided on its appropriateness.
The 29-year-old batsman, who reached his fifty with a powerful six off Axar Patel, later clarified that his celebration was entirely unplanned. “It was just in the moment,” Farhan stated after the game. “I rarely celebrate fifties. It just suddenly came to me that I should do a celebration and it happened like that. I don’t know how people took it, and frankly, I don’t care about that.”
Farhan’s aggressive batting set a crucial early pace for Pakistan’s innings. He partnered effectively with Saim Ayub to rebuild after the early loss of Fakhar Zaman, reaching his fifty in just 34 deliveries, which included five fours and three sixes, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a brisk rate.
The match also saw Farhan engaged in a brief exchange of words with India’s Hardik Pandya. However, Farhan downplayed the incident, emphasizing that his aggressive playing style is not specifically directed at India. “You have to play aggressive cricket, be it any opposition,” he explained. “It isn’t necessary that it has to be against India. You have to play aggressively against every side, like we did today against India.”
Despite the buzz around his controversial celebration, India ultimately secured a decisive six-wicket victory, chasing down the target with seven balls to spare. This win positioned India favorably at the top of the Super Fours stage standings with a superior net run rate of +0.689.
Meanwhile, in another Super Fours fixture, Bangladesh triumphed over Sri Lanka. This result placed Pakistan at the bottom of the current standings, with Sri Lanka holding the third spot, adding more pressure to their campaign.