India’s Captain Suryakumar Yadav Donates Match Fees to the Army After Asia Cup Win
In a stunning display of sportsmanship, India’s cricket captain, Suryakumar Yadav, announced that he will donate all his match fees from the Asia Cup 2025 to the Indian Army. This announcement came right after his team secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai, marking India’s ninth continental title.
“I personally want to give all my match fees from this tournament to the Indian Army,” Yadav stated during the post-match press conference.
However, the celebrations took a surprising turn during the trophy ceremony. India chose not to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister and president of the Asian Cricket Council. This move created a dramatic scene at the presentation.
The ceremony experienced a lengthy delay as individual award winners were acknowledged. Although the India team was prepared to receive the trophy from Khalid Al Zarooni, vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, Naqvi did not allow this, leading to an unusual situation for the winning team.
Commenting on the incident, Yadav expressed, “This is something I have never seen before in cricket. A champion team being denied a trophy after working so hard for it is unprecedented. We were here since the 4th and played rigorously. I feel we deserved to celebrate our win with the trophy.”
He further reflected on the experience, saying, “As for the trophies, my real trophies are the 14 players and the support staff who journeyed with me throughout the Asia Cup. Those moments will stay with me forever.”
Following the victory, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a reward of ₹21 crore for the players and support staff, highlighting their hard-earned success.
