India defeated arch-rival Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Stadium.
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post after India’s Asia Cup 2025 win against Pakistan. Modi compared the thrilling victory to ‘Operation Sindoor’. He wrote on X, "#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same - India wins! Congrats to our cricketers."
Reacting to this, Suryakumar told ANI, "It feels good when the country's leader himself bats on the front foot; it felt like he took the strike and scored runs. It was great to see, and when the sir is standing in front, then definitely the players will play freely."
India defeated arch-rival Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Stadium. The win came after a tense battle that went into the last over. The Indian team stood firm and lifted the spirit of millions of fans back home.
Suryakumar said the support of the entire nation added to the team’s motivation. "The most important thing is that the whole country is celebrating. When we go back (to India), it will feel good, and we will get more inspiration and motivation to do well," he added.
Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav announced that he would donate his tournament fees to support the Indian Armed Forces. His donation will also help the families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. This gesture won him even more respect from fans.
Despite the victory, the post-match ceremony created controversy. India refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The team remained firm on its stand throughout the tournament and even avoided traditional handshakes with Pakistani players.
Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, had posted objectionable comments against India earlier. His posts, which referenced Operation Sindoor and the four-day conflict, upset the Indian team. This led to their decision not to receive the trophy from him.
Naqvi even complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC) about India’s behaviour. But Team India stood strong and made its position clear.
Instead of holding the official trophy, Suryakumar posted a fun photo with teammate Tilak Varma. In the picture, the trophy was replaced with an emoji. His caption read: “When the game is done, only the champions will be remembered and not the picture of a (emoji of trophy).”
This light-hearted post quickly went viral and showed how the team celebrated its win despite the controversy.
