In a high-pressure Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against India, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan played a stabilising role for his side, scoring a composed 58 runs off 45 balls. Despite Pakistan’s eventual collapse, his contribution gave them a competitive start, helping the team reach a total of 171.

The innings itself, however, wasn’t the only aspect that drew attention. After reaching his half-century, Farhan celebrated with a ‘gun gesture’ — a move that quickly sparked debate online. While some fans viewed it as a passionate expression, others criticised the action as inappropriate on such a big stage.

Facing the media the next day, ahead of Pakistan’s next match against Sri Lanka, Farhan addressed the controversy with a no-nonsense attitude.

“I think, if you talk about the sixes, you will see that (a lot) in the future. And that (celebration) was just a moment at that time. I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring 50. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that,” he said.

He further added that playing aggressively is a mindset that should apply to all opponents — not just India.

“You should play aggressive cricket wherever you play. It is not necessary that it is India. You should play aggressive cricket against every team, like we played today,” he explained.

Turning his focus to strategy for the Sri Lanka game, Farhan highlighted Pakistan’s struggles in the powerplay during previous matches. He stressed the need for a stronger, more disciplined approach early in the innings.

Farhan Admits Powerplay Struggles

“I think in the last few matches what was missing was that we were not utilising powerplays well. We were giving early wickets. It is important to use the powerplays well and also not give away wickets,” he said.

He praised his team’s improved start against India, mentioning the solid run rate and responsible batting in the first ten overs.

“The way we played in powerplays today, we did not give away early on wickets. God willing, our powerplay was also very good as we scored 90 something runs in 10 overs. We did collapse in the middle but we will rectify it,” he concluded.

Farhan’s response has added fuel to conversations around player expression and sportsmanship, as Pakistan looks ahead to a critical fixture in their Asia Cup campaign.