New Delhi: India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav criticised Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head Mohsin Naqvi for his handling of the Asia Cup trophy presentation after India’s thrilling victory over Pakistan in the final on Sunday.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, reportedly walked away with the trophy and medals meant for the winning Indian team. Surya and his teammates refused to accept the silverware from him following their hard-fought last-over win, which secured India’s record-extending ninth Asia Cup title.
“I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing and following cricket that a champion team is denied a trophy, especially one that was hard-earned,” Yadav said during a post-match interaction. “We were here since September 4, played multiple back-to-back games, and today delivered a hard-earned win. I feel we deserved it.”
Emphasising the value of his teammates and support staff, Surya added, “If you tell me about the trophies, my trophies are sitting in my dressing room all 14 guys with me and the support staff. Those are the real trophies. These are the moments I’ll cherish forever.”
On being asked about the sequence of events leading to the team’s refusal, Yadav light-heartedly recounted, “Rinku Singh hit a four. India won the Asia Cup. We celebrated every player’s achievement Tilak, Kuldeep, and Abhishek got cars. That was the chain of events we wanted to achieve. We also saw the champions’ flexi board come and go. It’s okay, it’s part of life.”
India’s team completed a dominant tournament run, winning all seven matches, including three against Pakistan, further cementing their supremacy in Asian cricket.
