Media365
Sahibzada Farhan has been celebrated in Pakistan for his fearless batting against India in the Asia Cup, even though his team fell short in the final.
Sahibzada Farhan
Sahibzada Farhan
The 28-year-old first grabbed attention in the Super Four clash in Dubai when he reached his half-century in style. Facing Axar Patel, Farhan rocked back and sent a short delivery deep over midwicket for six before mimicking firing an AK-47 with his bat. The crowd was stunned and social media erupted. He continued his form in the final, becoming the first batter to hit three sixes off India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in T20Is. Farhan scored 57 off 34 balls and put on an 84-run opening stand with Fakhar Zaman. However, Pakistan could not capitalise, losing their last nine wickets for 33 runs, with India’s Kuldeep Yadav taking 4-30. The team was all out for 146. India then chased the target, losing three early wickets before Tilak Varma hit a six in the penultimate over to seal a thrilling five-wicket victory. Varma remained unbeaten on 69, supported by Shivam Dube (33), helping India retain the Asia Cup and finish the tournament unbeaten. Amid the cricket drama, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi gained global attention during the trophy handover controversy. When Indian players refused to accept the trophy from him, widely seen as a political snub, Naqvi retained it and later stated that India was welcome to collect it from ACC headquarters.According to a report in The Independent, Naqvi is now set to receive the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal for his “principled and courageous stance,” a move organisers say “restored national pride.” The ceremony is planned in Karachi with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari invited as chief guest.
