WATCH: Suryakumar Yadav donates entire Asia Cup match fee to armed forces and pahalgam victims

After guiding India to a thrilling Asia Cup 2025 win against Pakistan, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav made a touching announcement. He said he would donate his entire match fee from the tournament to the Indian Armed Forces and to the families affected by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. “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,” Suryakumar posted on X.

As per reports, every Indian cricketer earns ₹4 lakh for each T20I game. Suryakumar, who played all seven matches in the competition, will be donating a total of ₹28 lakh. His decision was praised by fans and former players alike, as it showed his respect for the soldiers and their families. The announcement came just after India secured their ninth Asia Cup crown, and second in the T20I format, by beating Pakistan by five wickets in Dubai. Tilak Varma’s steady half-century, supported by useful knocks from Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, helped India cross the line in the final.

The post-match ceremony, however, took a strange turn. The Indian team refused to collect their medals and the trophy from PCB chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head Mohsin Naqvi. Instead, they were ready to receive the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board Vice Chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, but Naqvi did not agree. After a long wait, the trophy was taken away, and the presentation ended abruptly. Broadcaster Simon Doull told viewers, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”

Suryakumar’s Words After the Win

Suryakumar said he had never seen such a situation before. “This is something I have never seen in all my years of playing and following cricket. A champion team was denied a trophy, and it was a hard-earned one. We played two strong games on back-to-back days. I felt we truly deserved it. I do not want to say much more,” he explained.

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He also stressed that trophies are not everything. “If you ask me about trophies, I have 14 of them in my dressing room. The players and the support staff are the real trophies. I have been a big admirer of them throughout this Asia Cup journey. Those are the real memories I am taking back, and they will stay with me forever.”

In the end, the Indian players celebrated their win on the ground without the trophy or medals. Fireworks lit up the Dubai sky as Suryakumar recreated Rohit Sharma’s famous World Cup victory walk, giving fans a moment to remember.