Suryakumar Yadav opens up on match fees donation to Indian Army and Pahalgam victims

India captain Suryakumar Yadav extended his support to the Indian Armed Forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack by declaring all his match fees from the Asia Cup 2025 will be donated to them. Suryakumar made the announcement after leading India to the ninth Asia Cup title, which saw the Men In Blue beat Pakistan by five minutes in a thrilling finale at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

“I have decided to donate my match fees from this tournament to support our Armed Forces and the families of the victims who suffered from the Pahalgam terror attack. You always remain in my thoughts,” Suryakumar wrote on X.

In an exclusive interaction with RevSportz, the Indian skipper was asked about his decision to donate the match fees. "The thought came all of a sudden when I was giving this whole series of events that happened throughout the course of this tournament a thought. I was having my food in the dressing room and it was very peaceful out there, so this was the thought that came to my mind. What more can I do about the things that are in my control? When I took a stand after the first game, similar thoughts were already there in my mind, so I just acted upon it when I could," he responded.

Three times earlier, including during Sunday's final, Suryakumar had made a firm decision not to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha.

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Following the seven-wicket triumph over their bitter rivals in the group stage clash against Pakistan, Suryakumar had said: “This is the perfect occasion to take the time out and say that we stand by the victims of the families of Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity. Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery. Hope they continue to inspire us all and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to put a smile on their face.”

The tournament marked Indian cricket team's first appearance against Pakistan since the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in April this year, which prompted the Indian Armed Forces to launch retaliatory military action across the border in early May. India met Pakistan thrice in the tournament and emerged victorious on all three games.

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Additionally, India declined to take the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Interior Minister of the nation, who leads the Asia Cricket Council (ACC). Naqvi reportedly took the trophy with him after Team India’s snub.

“I have never seen a champion (team) not getting a trophy. We deserved it. The real trophies are my 14 colleagues and they will stay in my memory,” Suryakumar said in the post-match media briefing.

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