After Suryakumar Yadav, Pakistan captain wants to donate Asia Cup match fees to 'Operation Sindoor' victims

Taking a cue from Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav — who donated his entire match fees from the Asia Cup to the country’s armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack — Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha has now pledged that his team will donate its match fees to the “civilians and children” affected during India’s Operation Sindoor. “As a team, we have decided to donate our match fees to the civilians and children affected by India’s attack,” Agha said at the post-match press conference.

Twenty-six people were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan two weeks later, targeting terror camps across the border.

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Why did India refuse the trophy?

Amid the strained atmosphere, controversy erupted during the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday. The Indian cricket team reportedly refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

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What did Agha say about India’s conduct?

Agha criticised India’s refusal, calling it “disappointing”. He said, “They are not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they are disrespecting cricket. Good teams don't do what they did.”

He added, “We went to pose with the trophy (photo shoot) on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don't want to use harsh words but they've been very disrespectful.”

Why was the presentation ceremony delayed?

The presentation itself was delayed by over an hour. Broadcaster Simon Doull, hosting the event, later announced: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”

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Who received the awards?

While Indian players Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma collected their individual awards from other dignitaries, Naqvi presented the runners-up cheque to Pakistan captain Agha. The Indian players did not acknowledge Naqvi, and he in turn refrained from applauding their achievements.

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What did the BCCI say?

Later, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.

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