India’s record-extending ninth Asia Cup title over Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai turned into a celebration of national pride, patriotism, and resilience both on and off the field.
Indian Cricket Captain for the tournament, Suryakumar Yadav, announced he would donate his match fees from the tournament to support India’s Armed Forces and the families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. “You always remain in my thoughts. Jai Hind,” Yadav said.
The five-wicket win capped India’s unbeaten run in the tournament, with Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 anchoring the successful chase of 147 after Pakistan collapsed from 84-1 to 146 all out. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling attack with figures of 4-30.
Celebrations were tempered by a tense post-match presentation, where India refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Individual awards were presented to Indian players by other dignitaries, while Pakistan captain Salman Agha received the runners-up cheque from Naqvi.
“We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI. “It is unfortunate, but we hope the trophy and medals will be returned to India soon.”
Suryakumar Yadav described the unusual circumstances: “A champion team denied a hard-earned trophy — I feel we deserved it. But my real trophies are the 14 players and support staff who stood together throughout this journey.” The Indian team celebrated on the podium without the silverware, lifting an “imaginary trophy” to the delight of fans.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team on their unbeaten run, referencing their winning streak with a nod to national pride: “Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”
The team’s refusal to engage in post-match handshakes with Pakistan comes following the recent military conflict between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack in India in April this year. 25 Hindu tourists were targeted and killed by Islamist terrorists in this horrific terror attack. One Christian tourist and a local Muslim pony rider were also killed by the terrorists who were allegedly operating from Pakistan.
India responded with Operation Sindoor, a swift counter-terror operation that eliminated several terror operatives and struck Pakistani military bases. Modi hailed the operation as a demonstration of India’s intelligence capabilities and zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, warning that anyone threatening India’s security and dignity would face consequences.
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