Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Wednesday over his dedication of the Asia Cup victory against Pakistan to the victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
He also challenged Yadav, the Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI), and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to donate the earnings from the match to the families of the victims.
“He (Suryakumar) said he dedicated this win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack so easily. You are very understanding,” said the chief of AAP’s Delhi unit.
He further challenged: ““Agar tumhari aukaat hai, aur tumhari BCCI ki aukaat hai, aur tumhari ICC ki aukaat hai, toh tumhe dusri chunauti bhi dete hai. Jitna paisa tumne in broadcasting rights se kamaya hai, advertisers se kamaya hai, aur iss pure dhande mein aapne kamaya hai, de do un 26 vidhwahon ko. Hum bhi maan jayenge tumne dedicate kiya hai, (If you have the courage, and if the BCCI and the ICC have the courage, then here’s another challenge for you. Whatever money you earned from broadcasting rights, from advertisers, and from this entire business, give it to the 26 widows. Then we will believe that you truly dedicated it).”
“Himmat nahi hai inki, aukaat nahi hai inki ki kar sake. Haan, farzi mein kuchh bhik bol do ki humne isko dedicate kiya hai aur humne usko dedicate kiya hai. (They don’t have the courage, they don’t have the standing to actually do anything. Yes, they can falsely claim that they are dedicating this or that.) This is very embarrassing,” he added.
Neither Suryakumar Yadav nor the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the International Cricket Council (ICC) have responded to AAP leader’s remark.
VIDEO | AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj says, “I dare Suryakumar Yadav, the BCCI, and the ICC to donate the money earned from the India-Pakistan match to the widows in Pahalgam.”
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/bPBwV2pZcD
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 15, 2025
India Skips Customary Gestures
India sealed a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash on Sunday, but the post-match scenes grabbed as much attention as the result itself. In a rare move, Indian players walked off without engaging in the traditional handshake with their Pakistani counterparts.
The tense atmosphere surrounding the high-stakes encounter came against the backdrop of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 civilians, most of them tourists, were killed. Calls for a boycott had intensified on social media and in political circles ahead of the match.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav, dedicating the win to the security forces, said: “This victory is for our armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor. We stand with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.”
From the outset, signs of the frosty relations were clear. At the toss, Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha declined the customary handshake. The pattern continued after India’s emphatic win, as Yadav and Shivam Dube led their teammates straight into the dressing room, closing the door behind them while Pakistani players lingered on the field, waiting for the gesture that never came.
