“At the beginning of the series, just 15 days ago, he (Yadav) shook hands with Pakistani minister Mohsin Naqvi and even posed for a photo. But when the match was met with protests in India, the players were handed a new script to spread propaganda in the country”: AAP
Team India’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi after winning the series has sparked a political slugfest back home, with AAP and Shiv Sena (UBT) posting videos on social media showing Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav shaking hands with the Pakistani minister.
The BJP praised the Indian team for “putting Pakistan’s chief propagandist in his place,” while AAP accused the BJP-led Centre of handing the players a “new script to spread propaganda in the country.”
India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final also drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who termed the win as “Operation Sindoor” on the games field. “Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers,” PM Modi wrote on X. BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya and other BJP leaders also lauded the Indian players for their decision and said this was a reflection of “New India.”
According to reports, while the Indian team refused to receive the award from Naqvi—who also serves as the Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister—Naqvi insisted on presenting it. “We not only slammed Pakistan on the field but also put Naqvi in his place—a chief propagandist for the terror state that Pakistan is,” Malviya posted on X.
Malviya also shared an earlier video of AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, in which he challenges Suryakumar Yadav to donate his match earnings to the families of those killed in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The video then cuts to Yadav announcing, on Sunday night, that he would indeed donate his entire match fees to the families and the armed forces. “The two-penny AAP MLA, clown of Arvind Kejriwal, had the audacity to challenge Team India’s captain to donate his match fee to the Armed Forces in support of the Pahalgam terror attack victims. Our captain responded in style,” Malviya wrote.
In response, Bharadwaj shared a video on social media showing Yadav shaking hands with Naqvi. “At the beginning of the series, just 15 days ago, he (Yadav) shook hands with Pakistani minister Mohsin Naqvi and even posed for a photo. But when the match was met with protests in India, the players were handed a new script to spread propaganda in the country,” he wrote.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also mocked Yadav, accusing him of hypocrisy before and after the tournament. He shared the same video showing Yadav greeting and posing for a picture with Naqvi before the Asia Cup. “At the start of the series, 15 days ago, he shook hands and clicked photos with Pakistan’s minister. Now they are putting on a drama of patriotism. If nationalism truly flowed in their blood, they shouldn’t have stepped onto the field against Pakistan,” Raut posted in Hindi on X.
A day before the final, Raut had also voiced strong objections to India playing cricket against Pakistan, citing terrorism and past attacks. “This is not the biggest match. It is very bad for India and Pakistan to play in such an environment. When citizens do not want connections with Pakistan, why play cricket? Nationalism is missing when money takes over. Even if rivers of blood flow, we will play cricket. But this time, people don’t even want to watch the match on TV,” he had said.
On Monday, Suryakumar Yadav announced he would donate his entire match fee from the Asia Cup to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Indian 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 in the Pahalgam terror attack. You always remain in my thoughts. Jai Hind,” Yadav posted on X.
After Yadav’s announcement, Bharadwaj’s earlier challenge went viral on social media. In the video, Bharadwaj is seen saying: “Suryakumar Yadav, if you have the ability, we challenge you to give the money you have earned… to the widows of the Pahalgam victims.”
