'A gesture of goodwill': Siraj donates player-of-the-match prize money to Sri Lankan groundstaff, Siraj donates player-of-the-match prize money to Sri Lankan groundstaff, cricket, india srilanka

18 September 2023, 10:08 AM IST

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Mohammed Siraj | AFP

Colombo: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj on Sunday donated his player-of-the-match cash prize of USD 5,000 to the Sri Lankan groundstaff who worked tirelessly through the rain-hit Asia Cup.

"This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. They deserve it fully, this tournament wouldn't have been possible without them," Siraj said at the post-match presentation after India's 10 wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final.

Siraj bowled a devastating spell in which he took four wickets in the fourth over en route to a career-best 6/21 to help India bowl out Sri Lanka for a paltry 50 in the final.

Earlier on Sunday, the Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah also announced a cash reward of USD 50,000 for the groundsmen in Kandy and Colombo as an acknowledgment for their efforts in making the field of play ready.

Almost all the matches in the Sri Lankan leg of the Asia Cup were affected by rain. Even the final on Sunday had a delayed start because of wet outfield.

While India's opening fixture against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele was washed out, a couple more encounters throughout the competition saw rain interruptions bringing the Duckworth–Lewis method into effect.

The Super-4 meeting between India and Pakistan spilled on to the reserve day, when the former prevailed. PTI