Champion Team’s Triumph Unjustly Overlooked: Suryakumar Speaks Out

India captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed surprise at a champion team being denied a well-deserved trophy after India ended their Asia Cup campaign without the silverware in Dubai. However, he remained positive, stating he was not disappointed.

“In all my years playing and following cricket, I’ve never seen a champion team not receive their trophy,” Suryakumar commented. “We worked hard for this, playing consistently well since September 4th. We deserved it. However, I believe I’ve summed up everything I can on the matter.”

“Disappointment wasn’t part of our emotions. We were smiling on the podium, savoring the moment,” he added.

India refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Asian Cricket Council and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, causing a delay in the post-match presentation. As a result, the champions did not have a trophy to hold by night’s end.

Suryakumar later clarified that the decision not to accept the trophy from Naqvi was made independently by the players. He stated that there had been no directive from the BCCI regarding the presentation ceremony.

“I’m not aware of any communication between BCCI and ACC,” Suryakumar said. “This was purely our decision on the field.”

When pressed to elaborate on the situation surrounding India’s refusal, Suryakumar remained non-committal.

“Rinku Singh hit a four, securing us the Asia Cup title. We celebrated each player’s achievements, such as Tilak, Kuldeep, and Abhishek receiving cars. What else is there to want? We achieved what we aimed for,” he narrated.

“We saw the champions’ board brought out and then taken away. But that’s life, things like this happen,” he reflected.

Though there was no trophy lifting, Suryakumar mimicked lifting a trophy on the podium to cheers from his teammates.

“The real trophies are my teammates and support staff in the dressing room. These are the meaningful tokens and memories from the Asia Cup journey,” he expressed.

“The win was significant. Once the match concluded, ‘India’ was proudly displayed on the screen as the 2025 Asia Cup Champions. That’s what matters,” he added.

“It was an incredible journey for our team, and I’m sure the support staff shares this sentiment. We truly enjoyed it,” he said.

Despite distractions and controversies, Suryakumar was able to ignore the noise, uninstalling social media to stay focused. He humorously advised reporters to “close your room, switch off your phone and go to sleep” when seeking focus during the tournament.

“Staying focused wasn’t too challenging,” Suryakumar noted. “From the start, I encouraged the team to concentrate on cricket and enjoy practice sessions the way we play matches.”

“The team handled it positively. Remaining unbeaten was achieved by stepping up at needed times. These small wins contribute to the larger goal as we head toward the World Cup,” he stated.

In closing, Suryakumar announced donating his tournament match fees to the Indian Armed Forces. “Some may think it’s controversial, but for me, it’s the right decision,” he added.

“For me, it’s about doing what’s right,” he concluded.