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DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan explained his gun-fire celebration against India during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash on Sunday.

Farhan notched up his maiden half-century against arch-rivals India and celebrated it in a unique way by mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets,” a gesture that thrilled fans.

He top-scored with 58 from 45 balls, which helped Pakistan set a record total against India in T20Is.

However, it was not enough as India chased down the target in the second last overs, losing just four wickets in the process.

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Speaking in the press conference ahead of the clash against Sri Lanka, Farhan spilled the beans on his celebration and stated that he does not care what people say about it.

“You’ll see more (sixes). It was just a moment thing. Normally, I don’t celebrate much even after scoring fifties, but suddenly I felt like doing it today. I don’t care what people make of it,” he said.

The right-hander also backed the team’s approach of playing an aggressive brand of cricket against all teams.

“And as for the rest, you know, cricket should be played aggressively against all teams, not just India. Today, we played that kind of aggressive cricket, ” he continued.

He also highlighted the missing link in Pakistan’s batting line-up and expressed confidence in correcting their mistakes.

“I think what we’ve been missing in recent matches is not making the most of the powerplay and losing early wickets. That puts pressure on the rest of the batting lineup.

Apart from Fakhar’s early dismissal, we didn’t lose wickets in the powerplay, and we scored around 90 runs in the first ten overs. That was excellent. Later in the middle overs, we collapsed a bit, but Inshallah we’ll fix that too,” Sahibzada Farhan concluded.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks Abhishek Sharma’s six-hitting record

The Pakistan Junior Padel Team is set to participate in the FIP Junior World Cup in Reus, Spain, scheduled from September 26 to October 5.

The 10-member squad, led by Mir Saqib, will take part in three categories: U14, U16, and U18.

To bolster preparations, the Pakistan Padel Federation has appointed Spanish coach Javier Navas Mendez, who will join the team in Spain and later visit Pakistan in October for training camps.

Ahead of the main event, Pakistan will participate in the qualifying rounds, which will be played from September 26 to 28, where they are grouped with teams from Egypt, the UAE, Senegal, Qatar, Japan, Iran, and Lebanon.

 

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The top teams from each group will advance to the final, with the winner securing a spot in the main draw.

For context, the FIP Junior World Cup 2025 will feature teams from 36 countries, making it a record-breaking edition. The tournament will be held across three venues in Reus, Spain, with the final phase kicking off on September 29.

The event is being staged by the International Padel Federation in collaboration with Premier Padel Spain.

Pakistan Padel Team Players:

Under 14: Azhar Ahmed Allawala, Shakir Ullah, Muhammad Bin Haris, Rayyan Faizan

Under 16: Mueez Usman, Asher Usman Allawala

Under 18: Ayaan Saeed, Muhammad Omer Qamar, Mir Saqib (Captain), Samer Zaman

Reserves: Rayyan Ahmedani, Khowja Faiz

READ: Nashra Sandhu breaks Sana Mir’s long-standing record

LAHORE: Pakistan left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu broke former captain Sana Mir’s long-standing record against South Africa to register the second-best bowling figures in a Women’s One Day International (ODI).

Sandhu tormented the South Africa women’s batting lineup in the final ODI of the three-match series, claiming a six-wicket haul that bundled out the visitors for 115 runs in only 25.5 overs.

The record for best bowling figures in an innings is held by Sajida Shah, who took seven wickets for just four runs against Japan in 2003.

Best bowling figures in an innings for Pakistan in WODIS

Sajjida Shah 7/4 vs Japan Women  in 2003

Nashra Sandhu 6/26 vs South Africa Women in 2025*

Sana Mir – 5/32 vs Netherlands Women in 2010

Moreover, Nashra Sandhu also reached the milestone of reaching 100 wickets in ODIs for Pakistan. She became the third player to reach the landmark for Green Shirts.

Most Wickets for Pakistan in WODIS

Sana Mir 120 matches 151 wickets

Nida Dar 112 matches 108 wickets

Nashra Sandhu* 74 104 wickets

At the time of filing this story, Pakistan were 48-1 in 16.3 overs with Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali at the crease.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan Women: Fatima Sana (c), Muneeba Ali, Eyman Fatima, Sidra Amin, Natalia Pervaiz, Syed Aroob Shah, Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Nawaz

South Africa Women: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Karabo Meso, Sune Luus, Miane Smit, Anneke Bosch, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba

READ: Nashra Sandhu’s six-fer skittles South Africa for 115

LAHORE: Left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu’s six-wicket haul, followed by a composed half-century from Sidra Amin, sealed a consolatory win for Pakistan women against South Africa women in the final ODI of the three-match series here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

Despite a dominant win, South Africa clinched the series 2-1 ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, set to begin at the end of this month.

Pakistan chased down the 116-run target on the loss of four wickets with 114 balls remaining. The girls in Green cruised to victory without any major hiccups, with Sidra Amin continuing her rich vein of form.

After losing the opener Omaima Sohail for a nought in the second over, Sidra Amin and Muneeba Ali paired up for a 65-run stand, which steadied Pakistan in the chase.

The stand culminated in the 22nd over as Muneeba departed for a well-made 44 from 76 balls, laced with six boundaries. South Africa struck again on the third ball of the over, removing skipper Fatima Sana for a duck, which reduced Pakistan to 66-3.

Yet, Sidra held firm and kept the score ticking alongside Natalia Pervaiz, who made 14 from 10 balls.

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The home side eventually got to target with Sidra Amin hitting the winning runs with a boundary. Sidra top-scored with 50* off 94 deliveries, studded with eight fours, whereas Eyman Fatima remained not out on three.

For South Africa, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Nadine de Klerk picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, South Africa could not capitalize on the decision and were bundled out for 115 in just 25.5 overs.

The openers started firmly with a 38-run partnership. However, Diana Baig removed the skipper, Laura Wolvaardt, who top-scored with 28 off 23 balls.

Sune Luus and Karabo Meso were also sent back in successive overs, which reduced South Africa to 59-3 in 9.1 overs. The visitors were in further dire straits once Nashra Sandhu came in to bowl.

The 27-year-old tore through South Africa’s middle-order with outstanding bowling and took a fifer in no time. Due to her spell, South Africa were reeling on 94-8 at the end of the 21st over.

With a dominant display from Pakistan, it was only a matter of time before the Proteas were bowled out, with Syed Aroob Shah removing the last two batters.

Nashra Sandhu remained the standout bowler, picking up six wickets for 26 runs in nine overs.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan Women: Fatima Sana (c), Muneeba Ali (wk), Eyman Fatima, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Syed Aroob Shah, Rameen Shamim, Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal.

South Africa Women: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Karabo Meso, Sune Luus, Miane Smit, Anneke Bosch, Miane Smit, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba

READ: Quinton de Kock reverses retirement, returns for Pakistan tour

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa star batter Quinton de Kock was named in the Proteas squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan after reversing his retirement from One-Day international (ODI) cricket.

The 32-year-old announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2021 and ended his ODI career following the 2023 World Cup.

He last played for South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024, held in the West Indies, where they lost to India in the final.

Now, the wicket-keeper has been included in the South Africa squad for the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan, which is set to commence on October 28.

The left-handed batter boasts an impressive average of 45.74, having amassed 6770 runs in 155 ODIs with 21 centuries and 30 half-centuries.

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Following the squad announcement, Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad called the ace batter’s return a significant boost for South Africa.

“Quinton’s return to the white-ball space is a major boost for us,” said Conrad. “When we spoke last month about his future, it was clear that he still has a strong ambition to represent his country.

“Everyone knows the quality he brings to the side, and having him back can only benefit the team,” he added.

South Africa Test squad

Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj*, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne

T20I squad

David Miller (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Andile Simelane, Lizaad Williams

South Africa ODI squad

Matthew Breetzke (capt), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Donovan Ferreira, Bjorn Fortuin, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks Abhishek Sharma’s six-hitting record

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan on Sunday broke India’s Abhishek Sharma’s record during the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Sahibzada top-scored for Pakistan with a 58 off 45 balls. He struck three sixes and five fours in his impressive knock.

In doing so, he surpassed Abhishek Sharma’s tally for the most T20 sixes in a calendar year. The right-hander now has 88 sixes to his name — the most by an Asian batter in a single year.

Most T20 Sixes Hit in a Calendar Year by an Asian Batter

88 – Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan) in 2025 (34 inns)*

87 – Abhishek Sharma (India) in 2024 (38 inns)

85 – Suryakumar Yadav (India) in 2022 (41 inns)

82 – Mohammad Waseem (UAE) in 2024 (45 inns)

81 – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) in 2024 (52 inns)

Overall, Sahibzada Farhan sits fourth on the global list of six-hitters in 2025.

Most T20 Sixes in 2025 

103 sixes – Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)  49 inns

99 sixes – Karanbir Singh (Austria)  28 inns

88 sixes – Dewald Brevis 32 inns

88 sixes – Sahibzada Farhan 34 inns

Despite Sahibzada Farhan’s record-breaking, India cruised to a comprehensive six-wicket victory, courtesy of Abhishek Sharma’s sublime knock.

He added 105 for the opening wicket with Shubman Gill in just 59 balls, leaving Pakistan bowlers deflated.

The left-hander went on to smash 74 off just 39 balls, studded with five towering sixes and six boundaries. For his outstanding knock, the southpaw was named player of the match.

READ: India-Pakistan isn’t a rivalry anymore: Suryakumar Yadav

DUBAI: Suryakumar Yadav has brushed aside the talk of rivalry between India and Pakistan after his side’s comprehensive six-wicket win in the Super Fours of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

India dominated Pakistan and secured their second win over the arch-rivals in the space of a week.

Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock was the highlight of the match which steered India to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan was the lone bright star, scoring 58 off 45 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav addressed a question regarding the India-Pakistan rivalry in the post-match press conference.

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“Standards and rivalry are the same. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1….I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore,” he told reporters.

He called the middle overs after the drinks break as the turning point of the match during Pakistan’s innings.

“According to me, the turning point was in the first drinks in the first innings. People changed their body language after that. You always see the game changes generally after the powerplay.

“But today, the game changed after ten overs, when the bowlers changed their line and lengths, understood what was needed in that situation, and showed a little more energy,” he continued.

The skipper praised Indian spinners and highlighted Shivam Dube’s spell, which turned the game on its head.

“The spinners bowled well. And according to me, Shivam Dube’s spell, you can say that it was a turning point,” he concluded.

READ: ‘Yet to play a perfect game,’ admits Salman Ali Agha after India defeat

DUBAI: The Pakistan men’s cricket team achieved a few milestones against arch-rivals India despite their defeat in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

After being invited to bat first, Pakistan’s new opening duo of Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan made a strong start, accumulating 21 runs before Fakhar was dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the third over due to a controversial call by the third umpire.

Fakhar managed to score 15 runs off just nine balls, including three boundaries.

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Farhan continued to push the pace for Pakistan, teaming up with Saim Ayub to add another 34 runs.

Consequently, Pakistan wrapped up the batting powerplay at 55/1. This score of 55 marks their highest powerplay total against India in men’s T20Is, surpassing the previous record of 54 set during the second T20I of the two-match series in Ahmedabad in 2012.

Highest Powerplay totals for Pakistan against India in T20Is

55 runs in Dubai, 2025
54 runs in Ahmedabad, 2012
53 runs in Johannesburg, 2007
44 runs in Dubai, 2022

Moreover, Pakistan also posted their highest total against India. Pakistan posted 171-5 in their allocated 20 overs.

The Men in Green surpassed their previous total of 159-8 that they made against them in 2022.

Highest T20I totals for Pakistan vs India (batting first):

171-5, Dubai 2025
159-8, Melbourne 2022
147, Dubai 2022
130-7, Mirpur 2014

Yet, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets for the second time in a week in the continental tournament.

Farhan top-scored with 58 from 45 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes, which helped Pakistan reach 171 on the board in their 20 overs.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

India eventually chased down the target on the last ball of the 19th over with Tilak Varma scoring 30 off 19 alongside Haridk Pandya, who made seven.

READ: WATCH: Sahibzada Farhan celebrates fifty with firing gun celebration

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his maiden half-century against India in a unique style during the Super Four match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Farhan reached his half-century in dominant fashion, smashing a six off Axar Patel on the third delivery of the 10th over. After reaching the milestone, he celebrated uniquely, mimicking his bat “firing runs like bullets”.

The right-handed batter’s innings included five boundaries and three sixes, showcasing an aggressive and confident approach against India’s bowling attack.

Despite his knock, India defeated Pakistan by six wickets for the second time in a week in the continental tournament.

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Farhan top-scored with 58 from 45 balls with the help of five fours and three sixes, which helped Pakistan reach 171 on the board in their 20 overs.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

India eventually chased down the target on the last ball of the 19th over with Tilak Varma scoring 30 off 19 alongside Haridk Pandya, who made seven.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf picked up two wickets while Faheem Ashraf and Abrar Ahmed managed to scalp one apiece.

READ: ‘Yet to play a perfect game,’ admits Salman Ali Agha after India defeat

DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha opened up after his side’s six wicket defeat against arch-rivals India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

This was Pakistan’s second loss against India in a week, having previously beaten by seven wicket in the group stage fixtures of the continental tournament.

For India, it was Abhishek Sharma ruthless knock that steered them to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan was the lone-bright star, scoring 58 off 45 balls.

Speaking in the post match press-presentation, Agha said that Pakistan is yet to play at their best while mentioning that India took the game away in the powerplay.

“We are yet to play a perfect game, but we’re getting there. It was a great contest, though they really took the game away in the powerplay,” he said.

The skipper mentioned they were 10-15 runs short, particularly after the start they have got in the first 10 overs.

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“We didn’t put enough runs on the board. At 91/2 after 10 overs, we should have pushed for 10–15 more. Still, 171 is a challenging total.

“Credit to them — their powerplay batting made the difference in the end.
In T20 cricket, if your bowlers are going for runs, you have to make changes. It’s about finding the right man at the right time,” Agha explained.

Despite the defeat, he remained confident, emphasizing the players contributions as a plus point and backed Pakistan for their next game against Sri Lanka.

“There are positives for us. Fakhar and Farhan batted well, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf bowled strongly.

We’re still very much in it and looking forward to our next game against Sri Lanka,” he concluded.

READ: WATCH: Shaheen, Rauf engage in war of words with Sharma