• Source:JND
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India vs Pakistan Final: The father of Martyr’s Indian Army officer has praised the Indian cricket team's bold stand during the Asia Cup 2025 trophy ceremony, calling it a powerful and justified message to Pakistan. Rajesh Narwal, whose son Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was among the 26 people killed in the recent Pahalgam terror attack, expressed his support for Team India after they declined to accept the winner’s trophy from Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.

On India's victory in the Asia Cup, Pahalgam incident victim, Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's father, Rajesh Narwal said, "I congratulate the team and entire nation for this victory... the Indian team refused to shake hands and Pakistan opposed it saying it is against sportsmanship, but nationalism is above sportsmanship... This is a true display of patriotism... The way they refused to accept the trophy gave a message to Pakistan that they should improve themselves and correct their actions... I agree with PM Modi's statement on this victory..."

"Our cricketers have given a message to Pakistan. It’s not against the game. Pakistan is a terror state, and I say that because all terrorists are from Pakistan, but not all Pakistani citizens are terrorists," Narwal added.

He emphasized that his stance was not directed at the sport or the players themselves. “We personally like players. We don’t hate the game and the players. It was a retaliation, and that was clearly shown. Indian players won. They played well. They gave a message," he added.

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India clinched their ninth Asia Cup title on Sunday in a tense final against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India chased down the target with five wickets in hand. However, the match and the aftermath carried weight far beyond cricket, given the backdrop of the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that had left the nation in mourning.

Team India's Response To Pahalgam Terror Attack

Throughout the tournament, the Indian side had avoided handshakes and ceremonial exchanges with their Pakistani counterparts. The symbolic snub during the trophy presentation marked the culmination of those silent protests. Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as both the Asian Cricket Council president and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was present to hand over the trophy but the Indian team refused to accept it from him.

Adding further emotional depth to the moment, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav announced that he would donate his entire match fee from the tournament to the Indian Army.

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“I personally want to give all my match fee from this tournament to the Indian Army," Yadav said during the post-match presentation.

Addressing the unusual turn of events during the trophy presentation, Yadav shared his thoughts with visible disappointment over the denied moment of celebration.

“I think this is one thing that I have never seen since I started playing cricket, since I started following cricket, that a champion team is denied to get a trophy. I mean that, too, a hard-earned one…I feel we deserved it, and I can’t say anything more," he remarked.