Being denied a deserving trophy after winning a marquee event is a first for India’s T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav, but he is unruffled thanks to his 14 “priceless” teammates.
Having won the Asia Cup beating Pakistan for the third time in a space of two weeks, Suryakumar and the team refused to take the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and more importantly the Interior Minister of his country, known for his vocal anti-India stand.
Suryakumar Yadav
Since the Indian team didn’t take the trophy from Naqvi, the presentation ceremony was concluded with Naqvi leaving the dais and taking the trophy with him on Sunday night. “This is one thing I’ve never seen since I started playing and following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, and that too a hard-earned one. But if you ask me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in my dressing room. All 14 guys and all the support staff. Those are the real trophies,” Suryakumar said when asked how he felt about being denied the biggest prize after winning seven games at the continental showpiece.