The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken action against Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan following their controversial gestures during the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match against India. The incidents occurred during the high-stakes encounter on September 21, sparking considerable debate and prompting an official complaint from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Haris Rauf has been fined 30% of his match fees for "abusive language and aggressive gestures". Specifically, Rauf was accused of gesturing towards Indian fans about "falling planes" and verbally abusing opposition players. He also made a controversial '6-0' gesture towards Indian fans and mimicked a plane falling from the air. This was perceived as a reference to the Pakistan Army's unverified claims of downing six Indian fighter jets.

Sahibzada Farhan, on the other hand, has received a formal warning for his "gun-fire" celebration after reaching his half-century. Farhan defended his actions, stating that it was a traditional Pashtun form of rejoicing and not intended to provoke. He argued that the gesture was not politically motivated and that former Indian captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli had also made similar gestures during celebrations.

The ICC held a hearing, overseen by match referee Richie Richardson, to address the matter. Both players appeared in person, accompanied by team manager Naveed Akram Cheema, and had previously submitted written responses. While both Rauf and Farhan pleaded not guilty, the ICC found their actions to be in violation of the ICC code of conduct.

The BCCI had lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, citing both gestures as offensive and provocative during a high-tension India-Pakistan encounter. The ICC treated the complaints seriously, assigning match referees Richie Richardson and Andy Pycroft to handle hearings separately for both sides.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had also filed a complaint against Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for his post-match speech when he dedicated the group stage win over Pakistan to the Indian Armed Forces. Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30 per cent of his match fees. He was asked for an explanation regarding his post-match remarks after the September 14 India vs Pakistan clash triggered a formal complaint from the PCB. He was told not to make any statement that could be construed as political in the remainder of the tournament.

These incidents have further fueled the already intense rivalry between India and Pakistan. With India and Pakistan set to face each other in the Asia Cup 2025 final, calls for both teams to focus on cricket and maintain sportsmanship have been amplified.