 "Pakistan cricketer Sahibzada Farhan creates fresh controversy with 'GunMode' bat sticker. Images: AP/ @tanveercric7_/X")
Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan stirred yet another controversy as he revealed a new “GunMode” bat sticker, inspired by his firing gun celebration against India in the Asia Cup 2025 . Sahibzada Farhan unveiled the controversial bat sticker in an Instagram video, which has since been deleted due to its viral nature and intense criticism.
The 29-year-old Sahibzada Farhan was Pakistan’s top run-getter in the Asia Cup 2025 with 217 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 116.04. However, it was not his runs but his controversial celebration that made the headlines. In the Super 4 match against India, Sahibzada Farhan opted for a firing gun celebration after scoring a fifty, a highly insensitive gesture just a few months after Pakistani terrorists assassinated 26 people in Pahalgam.
A furious Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made an official complaint against the distasteful and provocative gesture. While Sahibzada Farhan pleaded not guilty, claiming that firing a gun is part of a celebration in his hometown, he was warned by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Richie Richardson.
As a result, Sahibzada Farhan stayed away from the controversial celebration after making a fifty in the final as India defeated Pakistan for a third time in the tournament.
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Nonetheless, Sahibzada Farhan’s controversial gesture was hugely appreciated by Pakistani fans, who seem to consider cricket as a field of war. Sahibzada Farhan, who is now back in his country, was welcomed in a grand way upon his return to his hometown Charsadda, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Farhan later unveiled the controversial bat sticker called “GunMode,” which mimicked the firing gun celebration he did after hitting Axar Patel for a six in the Super 4 match and completing his half-century.
Farhan also said in the video that he plans to use the provocative gesture in the future. However, the video has since been deleted after facing criticism.