- Rajesh Narwal praised Team India for refusing to take the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi
- He said it was 'important to send a message' to Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack
- Suryakumar Yadav-led India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Dubai
Pahalgam terror attack victim Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's father, Rajesh Narwal, on Monday praised Team India players for refusing to take the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by five wickets in the final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, a match that was held in the backdrop of border tensions between the two countries after 26 tourists were killed by terrorists in the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
The Indian team, which refused to exchange traditional handshakes with the Pakistani players throughout the tournament, declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council President, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"Our players and captain Suryakumar Yadav have shown that the nation comes first," Rajesh Narwal told NDTV.
He said the Indian team, which was "enraged" by the Pahalgam terror attack, sent a "strong message" by not shaking hands with the Pakistani players.
"The Indian citizens or the players don't hate the Pakistani players or the sports, but it was important to send a message to some Pakistani leaders and the Army personnel who are insulting Pakistan," he said.
He, however, said that India should not have played against Pakistan, a country that "supports terrorism".
Suryakumar Yadav Donates Asia Cup Match Fee To Pahalgam Victims
Suryakumar Yadav said he will donate his entire match fee from the Asia Cup to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the country's 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 from the Pahalgam terror attack. You always remain in my thoughts. Jai Hind," the 35-year-old posted on X after the win over Salman Ali Agha's side.
Indian players are entitled to Rs four lakh per match in the T20 format, which means that Yadav would be donating a total of Rs 28 lakh for the seven games played in the event.
He also paid tribute to the Pahalgam attack victims and the Indian armed forces after his team thrashed the arch foes in a group match on September 14.
Pakistan had then accused him of making political statements and sought a ban on him in its complaint to the ICC. The world body had then asked him to refrain from making any statement that might be construed as political, besides imposing a 30 per cent fine on his match fee for that day.
The BCCI has challenged the fine after Yadav pleaded not guilty during the ICC hearing last week.
