Team India coach Doeschate Responds to Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan’s Controversial Gestures: “Could Have Easily Lost Our…”

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the controversial gestures and celebrations by Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan in the Super 4s match against India at the Dubai International Stadium.

Ryan ten Doeschate Praises India’s Composure Against Pakistan in Asia Cup

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate lauded his team for maintaining composure during the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s match against Pakistan on Sunday, despite repeated provocation from the opposition. Pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, along with opener Sahibzada Farhan, made objectionable gestures that drew criticism from Indian fans.

Farhan celebrated his fifty with a gun-like bat gesture, widely seen as insensitive following the Pahalgam terrorist attack earlier this year. Haris Rauf also made controversial signals toward the crowd, referencing previous military claims between India and Pakistan. Shaheen and Haris engaged in verbal exchanges with Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, but India remained unfazed, winning by six wickets while chasing 172.

“Let me just say, the amount of pressure on the players is very difficult to handle. I saw some of the things Haris did, but that’s not our concern. We’re really proud of how the guys carried themselves—they were on fire with their bats and showed their ambition,” ten Doeschate told reporters on Tuesday.

‘Guys really stuck well’

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate praised his team for staying composed despite continuous provocation from Pakistan pacers during the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4s match. He highlighted the outstanding performance of openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, who responded decisively with the bat.

“The world knows what the Pakistan pacers were trying to do by regularly chirping. I’m really proud of Abhishek and Gill for giving the proper answer with the bat. Given the situation, you can see why guys behave that way, but we stayed very focused on our game plan,” ten Doeschate said.

He added, “Some words came from the Pakistan bowling unit, but the guys stuck to the task and got the job done, winning the game.”

Gill and Abhishek shared a 105-run opening partnership, with Gill scoring 47 and Abhishek 74, helping India chase 172 with seven balls to spare. Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 13 and 30, respectively.

India will face Bangladesh in their next Super 4s match on Wednesday, September 24, at the Dubai International Stadium.

Sign up fast for E2BET777  now and claim your free bonus with your first registration!