Indian Team Refuses Asia Cup Trophy from Pakistan Official as Pahalgam Attack Victim's Father Praises Patriotic Stance

New Delhi:

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's father, Rajesh Narwal, expressed his appreciation on Monday for Team India players who declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defeated their rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the final match at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. The game took place amid border tensions between the two nations following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 tourists' lives.

Throughout the tournament, the Indian team refused traditional handshakes with Pakistani players and ultimately declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who serves as both the Asian Cricket Council President and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"Our players and captain Suryakumar Yadav have shown that the nation comes first," Rajesh Narwal told NDTV in an interview.

He noted that the Indian team, angered by the Pahalgam terror attack, delivered a "strong message" by refusing to shake hands with the Pakistani players.

"The Indian citizens or the players don't hate the Pakistani players or the sports, but it was important to send a message to some Pakistani leaders and the Army personnel who are insulting Pakistan," he explained.

Nevertheless, he expressed his view that India should have avoided playing against Pakistan, a country he described as one that "supports terrorism".

After India's victory, Suryakumar Yadav announced he would donate his entire Asia Cup match fee to support the Pahalgam terror attack victims and the country's armed forces.

"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. Jai Hind," the 35-year-old captain shared on X following the win over Salman Ali Agha's team.

For T20 format matches, Indian players receive Rs four lakh per game, meaning Yadav would be donating approximately Rs 28 lakh for the seven matches played during the event.

Yadav had previously honored the Pahalgam attack victims and the Indian armed forces after his team defeated their rivals in a group match on September 14.

Following this gesture, Pakistan filed a complaint with the ICC, accusing him of making political statements and requesting a ban. The ICC subsequently instructed him to avoid making statements that could be interpreted as political and imposed a 30 percent fine on his match fee for that day.

The BCCI has since challenged this fine after Yadav maintained his innocence during the ICC hearing last week.