Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan sparked controversy with his AK-47 celebration after scoring 50 in a Super Four Match 2 of the Asia Cup between India and Pakistan on Sunday, September 21. Reacting to his celebration, former Pakistan player and spinner Danish Kaneria said Indian batters replied to him with "BrahMos."
Pakistan's Farhan, who scored a half-century in 34 balls, turned towards his dugout and mimicked a "gun firing" gesture. Kaneria, speaking to the news agency IANS, praised Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma for their fierce batting against Pakistan.
"If you have players like Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, then 200 runs are nothing for you," Kaneria said, praising the "class" of both Indian openers. "Sahibzada Farhan signaled an AK-47, but Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma responded with a BrahMos of their own, letting their bats do the talking," he added.
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Former Pakistani spinner said that they replied to Farhan's AK-47 gesture with their bat, not with their mouths. "They let their performance speak, not their mouths." He said even Abhishek blew a flying kiss in reply.
Kaneria further added that "There’s a Dhulaai, and then there’s a Maha Dhulaai" He said our religion teaches us to live with love; they did the same "unhone pyaar se maara." Adding further, he said, "if Abhishek Sharma would have not out then, the match has been over earlier, because he was playing sensible cricket."
Meanwhile, during the first six overs of power play during the India vs Pakistan match, Farhan brutally hit Indian spinners. He struck five boundaries and three sixes to achieve 90 runs for his team in the first 10 overs. He scored a half-century, smashed a long six on Indian spinner Axar Patel's delivery in the 10th over, and his gesture went viral on social media.
Farhan's AK-47 celebration comes months after the Pahalgam deadly attack on April 22, killing 26 tourists. It was carried out by militants from Pakistan. And now Farhan's mimicry of firing a gun was widely criticised on social media as insensitive.
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav maintained the 'no-handshake' gesture with Salman Ali Agha for the second time. SKY and other Indian players ad also declined handshakes in the previous clash, and SKY dedicated that victory to the Pahalgam victims and the armed forces.
