It has been more than three weeks since the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team won the Asia Cup, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Dubai. After the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, they did not receive it, with Naqvi taking the trophy back with him. That night, the Indian team, including Yadav and other members like player of the final Tilak Varma, waited for over an hour for the trophy. They eventually celebrated with a mock trophy on the dais.
Varma has now shared how the team waited, expecting to receive the trophy, only for it to be taken away. This led the players to proceed with mock trophy celebrations, similar to their T20 World Cup trophy celebrations last year.
“We were actually waiting at the ground for one hour. If you look at the TV visuals, you’ll see that I was lying on the ground. Everyone else was also lying down. Arshdeep Singh was busy with his work; he is often making reels. We were just sitting and waiting, thinking, ‘The trophy will come anytime now.’ Then, it was almost one hour and the trophy was nowhere to be found. We were looking around, but the trophy was nowhere to be found. Arshdeep Singh said, ‘let’s create an atmosphere.’ He suggested we celebrate in the same fashion as the T20 World Cup in 2024, minus the trophy. After that, Abhishek Sharma along with five or six more players agreed. Then we started the celebration,” Varma shared on the YouTube show Breakfast with Champions.
Varma, who made his T20I debut against West Indies in 2023, played a crucial 53-ball knock of 69 runs to guide India to the five-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final. With India having lost four wickets for 77 runs in their chase of 147, Varma stayed till the end to ensure victory. It was India’s third win against Pakistan in the tournament.
Varma also spoke about his knock in the final. “We were confident, but cricket is a funny game. If you are playing a big tournament like the Asia Cup or the World Cup, and there’s a day when you don’t play to your potential, then it’s over. But the way I played against Pakistan in the final, I cannot play in the same fashion in every match,” said Varma.
In all three matches, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav decided not to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Following the title win, Yadav told The Indian Express that the team had decided on its own not to take the trophy from Naqvi.
“First of all, let me make it clear, no one from the Government or the BCCI told us throughout the tournament that if someone gives a trophy, we won’t take it. We took that decision on our own on the ground. They (ACC officials) were standing there on the stage and we were standing below. I saw them talking on stage and I don’t know the details of their chat. Some in the crowd started booing. And then we saw someone who was their representative taking the trophy and running away,” Yadav had told The Indian Express.
