He scored a crucial 58 in Pakistan's first Super 4s clash.
The tensions between India and Pakistan have been clearly visible in the Asia Cup 2025. From Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team not wanting to shake hands with their arch-rivals, to the Men in Green filing a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, the tournament has seen a lot of drama unfold. Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan just took it a notch above in the Super 4s clash on Sunday.
The right-handed opener played a crucial knock of 58 runs, which came off just 45 deliveries. Opening the batting with Fakhar Zaman, Farhan came out with the intent to take the Indians to the cleaners. And he did! Even after losing the wicket of his partner, he continued to attack the Indian bowlers, scoring runs at a brisk rate. However, his celebration to mark his half-century became a huge topic of debate amongst fans.
Farhan stitched an important partnership with Saim Ayub, who showed a glimpse of coming back to form. After completing his fifty, Farhan held his bat in a way that it looked like a gun and acting like he was opening fire. This is what started the debate, with many of the Indian fans not very pleased with his actions.
Both the countries are in the middle of a strenuous relationship, considering the political tensions surrounding the border. There was a lot of uncertainty on India’s participation in the tournament ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. However, with both teams already having locked horns two times, the rivalry ceases to fade away.
The 29-year-old got to his milestone in the 10th over, when he hit a six to all-rounder Axar Patel. What followed raised a lot of eyebrows. His celebration, which included using the bat as a gun to fire shots in the air was not taken in the right manner by a lot of Indian fans. This was with respect to what happened in Pahalgam, where 26 innocent lives were lost after they were gunned down.
Ahead of their Super 4s clash against Sri Lanka, Farhan was asked about the celebration and if there was any thought behind the same. He replied by stating that the celebration was just something that came to his mind in the moment. Furthermore, he also added that he would not care about how people would view it as.
“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 don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that”, said Farhan in an interview.
His knock helped Pakistan get to a competitive 171/5. However, the second innings was completely one-sided. Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill unleased hell on the Pakistani bowlers. Both Abhishek and Gill took the Shaheens to the cleaners, and scored at a brisk rate. The momentum shifted a tad bit after the loss of the two openers, but the remaining batters took India over the line for a six-wicket win.
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Whether the Men in Green are able to make it to the Final of the tournament will be decided on their performance in the remaining two matches. The Shaheens are scheduled to play Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the Super 4s. However, they will have to make sure that they win both their remaining matches to stay in contention.
Additionally, both Sri Lanka and Bangladesh possess the prowess to give Pakistan a tough fight. Bangladesh opened their Super 4s stage with a good win against Sri Lanka. Pakistan are scheduled to take on Sri Lanka next and the Lions will aim for nothing less than victory. However, the Men in Green will also have to put their best foot forward.
The team which loses their second Super 4s battle will be on the backfoot to make the Final of the tournament. This is because they might have to rely on the chances of another team, or depend on the run-rate factor to make a place in the ultimate showdown. The Sri Lankans have wreaked havoc with the new ball lately, and they will look to replicate the same in the fixture against Pakistan.
On the other hand, the Men in Green will have to make sure that their batting clicks. They chose to go with a different opening combination against India in the Super 4s clash. Saim Ayub, who had registered three consecutive ducks in the tournament was held back to bat at No.3. Moreover, Mohammad Haris was held back in the order and did not get to bat. The Shaheens will have to wrap their heads around how they want their batting to look like.
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