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Sahibzada Farhan and Swastik Chikara - (Source: X)
On Saturday, August 22, former RCB star Swastik Chikara hogged the headlines for his heroics in UPT20 League. Chikara’s side, Meerut Mavericks, locked horns against Kanpur Superstars, where the Mavericks registered a comfortable 9-wicket win
Swastik Chikara was the star with the bat, as the right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 97 (46), which featured 9 fours and 7 sixes. The 21-year-old scored the winning runs, and his celebration quickly grabbed eyeballs on social media.
Swastik Chikara Recreates Sahibzada Farhan’s Gun Celebration
Swastik Chikara’s 97-run knock came in a winning cause as he slammed a six to seal the win. Following the winning runs, Chikara ended up with a gun celebration. Chikara replicated Sahibzada Farhan’s celebration, who too fired shots against India after scoring a fifty during the 2025 Asia Cup.
Sahibzada Farhan’s celebration drew a lot of controversy because of the worsened geopolitical tensions during that time. Therefore, the celebration has not been performed often since that incident.
Although Chikara is not the only player to have done this celebration. The first Indian that comes to mind to don the gun celebration with MS Dhoni.
The former India captain scored a brilliant 183 against Sri Lanka in 2005, following which he brought out this famous celebration.
Swastik Chikara’s celebration did not go well with the fans
Chikara was all animated and pumped up after guiding his team to the win. However, the gun celebration he did was towards the spectators, and it did not go well with the fans. UPT20 League also posted the video, and the fans stated that the UP-based cricketer shouldn’t have done that celebration.
Swastik Chikara In Fine Form In UPT20 League 2026
Swastik Chikara is having a season to remember. The right-handed batter has already amassed 193 runs in 5 innings, averaging 48.25. Interestingly, the 21-year-old is opening the innings this season and has been successful.
Also Read: Finisher Rinku Singh Back! KKR Star Pulls Off Heroic Chase In UPT20 2026 Match
The only issue is with consistency. Chikara has scored two fifty-plus scores but has three single-digit scores to his name. For the unversed, Swastik Chikara has a history of performing well in UP T20 League.
In 2025, Chikara amassed 370 runs in 13 innings, averaging 30.83. He slammed three fifties in UP T20 League 2025.
IPL Teams That Can Target Swastik Chikara
For IPL 2027, there are several teams who are hunting for openers. Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders are the three teams. Chikara was part of RCB's maiden title-winning campaign in 2025 but was released from the team without getting a single match in the season.
Now, with UPT20 League, Chikara is targetting a return in IPL. The 21-year-old was part of IPL 2026 mini-auction but found no interest from any of the 10 franchises. However, two straight successful seasons will help Chikara's case.
Also Read: Karn Sharma Retires After Playing With Dhoni, Kohli, Rohit In Same IPL Team
