Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has finally broken his silence on the AK-47 celebration that stirred debate during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash against India in Dubai.
Farhan, who struck a gritty 58 off 45 balls, played a crucial role in steadying Pakistan’s innings before falling to Shivam Dube. But more than his runs, it was his half-century celebration — mimicking a gun gesture — that grabbed headlines and divided opinion across the cricketing world.
Facing the media ahead of Pakistan’s next Super Four clash against Sri Lanka, Farhan remained unfazed by the criticism.
“I don’t care. I celebrated the way I wanted to. It just came to my mind in the moment,” Farhan said. “I usually don’t celebrate after fifties, but this time I tried something new. People can take it however they want — I don’t care about that.”
While some fans slammed the celebration as unnecessary and controversial, others saw it as an expression of aggressive intent — a message that Pakistan would not back down against India.
The 29-year-old opener, however, insisted that his style of play and celebrations are not limited to India matches.
“You should play aggressive cricket against every team, not just India. That’s the way I bat, and that’s how I’ll continue,” he added.
Looking ahead, Farhan admitted Pakistan needed to fix their powerplay approach, an area where the team has been losing early wickets.
“In the last few games we weren’t utilising the first six overs properly. Against India, we managed a strong start and put runs on the board early. That’s what we need going forward,” he explained.
Pakistan now face a crucial do-or-die clash against Sri Lanka, with hopes still alive for a dream India-Pakistan final in Dubai.
