Suryakumar Yadav won everyone's hearts after becoming the champion, donating his entire Asia Cup fee to the Indian Army

The Indian team emerged victorious over Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final of the Asia Cup 2025, thereby securing the championship title. This marks the ninth occasion on which Team India has claimed victory in the Asia Cup. The standout performer for India was the left-handed batsman Tilak Varma, who contributed a pivotal innings of 69 not out off 53 balls. Notably, despite achieving the championship, India did not formally lift the trophy. This was attributed to PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who issued statements during the Asia Cup that were deemed anti-India in nature. Subsequently, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav announced his intention to donate his entire Asia Cup match fee to the Indian Army, an act which was also shared publicly via social media platforms.

Following the conclusion of the match, the Indian team respectfully declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy presented by the President of the Asian Cricket Council, Mohsin Naqvi. Although no official rationale was provided, it is widely believed that Naqvi's inflammatory rhetoric against India contributed to this decision. During the tournament, Naqvi engaged in several political statements and attempted to influence the proceedings by declaring an intention to present the trophy prior to the final; however, the Indian team countered this with their refusal to accept the trophy.

Throughout the Asia Cup, the Indian team demonstrated formidable skill both with bat and ball, remaining unbeaten and achieving the notable feat of defeating Pakistan on three separate occasions within the tournament. The final match was arduous and tense; nonetheless, India emerged victorious. The culmination of the event, however, was marked by subdued scenes, as the players departed with their medals yet without the trophy. In the aftermath, Suryakumar Yadav made an unexpected statement.

He expressed, "As a gesture, I want to donate my match fees for all matches of this tournament to the Indian Army. I don't know if people will call this controversial, but for me, it's the right thing to do." Additionally, he posted on X, stating, "I have decided to donate my match fees for this tournament to help our armed forces and the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. You will always be in my thoughts. Jai Hind."

It is pertinent to observe that Suryakumar's decision followed shortly after he was penalized by the ICC with a deduction of 30% of his match fee for dedicating India's inaugural victory over Pakistan to the armed forces. The ICC justified the sanction on the grounds of political interference, which incited a minor controversy. Nonetheless, Suryakumar remained steadfast in his stance despite the penalty.