Asia Cup 2025: Sahibzada Farhan defends gunshot celebration in ICC hearing, cites example of Dhoni and Kohli

Published - 26 Sept 2025, 16:15 IST | Updated - 26 Sept 2025, 16:22 IST

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has defended his controversial on-field celebration against India in the Super 4 clash of the ongoing Asia Cup, stating it was a personal celebration and not a politically motivated gesture.

Making his submission at the ICC hearing on Friday, Sahibzada cited past celebrations of a similar nature from former Indian captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli to establish his point, adding that such gestures are a common cultural expression among Pathans and are a routine part of their celebrations.

Sahibzada attended the formal hearing following the BCCI’s complaint with the ICC over his bat-as-gun celebration upon reaching his half-century against India in Dubai.

Meanwhile, the BCCI had also raised objections to pacer Haris Rauf’s act, as he displayed a 6-0 hand gesture and enacted a jet being shot down while fielding near the boundary, something that was interpreted as provocative in the aftermath of the recent geopolitical and cross-border tensions between the two nations.

It is understood that both players are likely to face fines ranging from 50 to 100 per cent of their match fees.