Dubai: Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav dedicated his T20 Asia Cup 2025 match fees to the Indian Army after India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Yadav said, “This could be seen as a controversy, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a good thing. I personally want to donate my match fees from all the games I played in this tournament to the Indian Army.”

India secured their ninth Asia Cup title overall and second in the T20 format, powered by Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 and key partnerships with Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube. Despite early setbacks at 20/3, the middle-order steadied the chase before Rinku Singh finished the match in style.

Earlier, Pakistan had posted 146 runs after a strong start by Sahidzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. A spin-led attack by Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30), supported by Jasprit Bumrah (2/25), triggered a collapse that turned the tide in India’s favour.

However, the final was overshadowed by controversy. During the presentation ceremony, Pakistan collected their runners-up medals, and Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma received their individual awards. But presenter Simon Doull announced that the Indian team would not be collecting their trophy or medals, with the ceremony ending abruptly.

Expressing disappointment, Yadav remarked, “This is something I have never seen in all my years of playing and following cricket. A champion team was denied a trophy, and it was a hard-earned one. We truly deserved it.”

Despite the snub, Team India celebrated on the field with fireworks, with Yadav recreating Rohit Sharma’s iconic slow-walk celebration from the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

India clinched the Asia Cup 2025 T20 title with a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai. Opting to bowl first, India initially struggled as Pakistan’s openers Sahidzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) added 84 runs for the first wicket. But a clinical spin performance from Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy dismantled Pakistan’s batting order, restricting them from 113/1 to 146 all out.

Chasing 147, India lost three quick wickets to Faheem Ashraf. Tilak Varma then anchored the innings with a composed 69*, building vital partnerships with Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33). Rinku Singh, playing his first Asia Cup game, struck the winning runs on his very first ball.

Tilak was named Player of the Match, while Abhishek Sharma took the Player of the Tournament award.

The celebrations took an unusual turn when the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) reportedly withheld India’s trophy and medals, with presenter Simon Doull confirming the decision on live broadcast. This unprecedented development drew sharp remarks from Suryakumar Yadav, who said the team and support staff were his “real trophies.”

India’s players later celebrated with fans despite the missing silverware, marking a memorable yet controversial end to the tournament.
(With ANI inputs)