India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav made headlines after the thrilling Asia Cup final by announcing he’ll donate his match fees from the entire T20 Asia Cup to the Indian Army. This comes right after Team India clinched a five-wicket victory over Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, securing their second T20I Asia Cup title and ninth overall, including ODI versions.
Tilak Varma starred with an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls, including three fours and four sixes, building key partnerships with Sanju Samson (24 off 21) and Shivam Dube (33 off 22). These efforts pulled India back from 20/3 in the chase and sealed the win, with Rinku Singh hitting the winning runs on his first ball in the tournament.
Suryakumar shared his generous plan during the post-match press conference. “I want to give my match fees from all the games I played in this tournament to the Indian Army,” he said, highlighting his support for the forces.
But the celebrations took a surprising turn. While Pakistan picked up their runners-up medals, and Tilak (Player of the Match) and Abhishek Sharma (Player of the Tournament) got their awards, India skipped collecting theirs. Presenter Simon Doull announced that the Asian Cricket Council decided the Indian team wouldn’t receive the medals or trophy that night, wrapping up the ceremony early.
Suryakumar didn’t hold back on his disappointment. “This is something I’ve never seen in all my years of playing and following cricket. A champion team denied a trophy—it’s a hard-earned one,” he told reporters. He praised the team’s back-to-back strong performances against tough opponents but kept it positive: “If you ask about trophies, I have 14 in my room. The players and support staff are the real ones. Those memories from this Asia Cup journey will stay with me forever.”
Despite the snub, Suryakumar and Team India partied hard. They posed for photos and recreated Rohit Sharma’s iconic slow-walk celebration from the 2024 T20 World Cup win, with fireworks lighting up the Dubai sky.
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl first. Pakistan started strong with an 84-run opening stand—Sahidzada Farhan smashed 57 off 38 (four fours, three sixes), and Fakhar Zaman added 46 off 35 (two fours, two sixes). But India’s spinners turned the game: Kuldeep Yadav took 4/30, Varun Chakravarthy grabbed 2/30, and Jasprit Bumrah sealed it with 2/25. Pakistan collapsed to 146 all out in 19.1 overs.
Early wickets from Faheem Ashraf (3/29) rocked India to 20/3, but Tilak’s steady knock and those crucial partnerships steadied the ship. Pakistan fought back with some sparks, but India crossed the line comfortably in a nail-biting finish.
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