Modi Connects Cricket Win With Cross-Border Conflict India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stirred controversy after connecting India’s Asia Cup cricket triumph over Pakistan with the recent Operation Sindoor conflict earlier this year. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi wrote: “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats
Modi Connects Cricket Win With Cross-Border Conflict
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stirred controversy after connecting India’s Asia Cup cricket triumph over Pakistan with the recent Operation Sindoor conflict earlier this year.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi wrote:
“#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”
The remark directly tied the Asia Cup final victory to the May 2025 four-day clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. That conflict brought India and Pakistan to the brink of a fifth war, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 22 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the incident, while Islamabad strongly rejected the allegations.
What Was Operation Sindoor?
In May, Modi launched Operation Sindoor as India’s response to the Kashmir attack. The conflict escalated rapidly, with both nations exchanging missile and drone strikes.
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More than 70 people were killed during the short conflict.
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Both India and Pakistan claimed victory.
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An Indian naval officer later admitted India lost multiple fighter jets due to “government restrictions” on the military.
Asia Cup Final Overshadowed by Political Tensions
India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. However, the on-field achievement was clouded by political disputes and player behavior.
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Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts throughout the tournament.
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After the final, the Indian team declined to receive the trophy from Asia Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and head of the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board).
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Broadcaster Simon Doull confirmed that India would not collect the trophy due to ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.
Individual Awards, But No Trophy
While the team rejected the main prize, three Indian cricketers collected individual awards:
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Tilak Varma – Player of the Match
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Abhishek Sharma – Player of the Tournament
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Kuldeep Yadav – Most Valuable Player
Notably, Naqvi did not applaud the winners and stood silently during the ceremony.
Afterward, Yadav said in a press conference:
“I have never seen a winning team being denied its trophy.”
Pakistan Calls India’s Behavior “Bad for Cricket”
Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha criticized India’s actions, calling them damaging for the sport:
“What they did today, a good team doesn’t do. Good teams respect the game. We waited for our medals and took them.”
The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has since announced that it will lodge a formal protest against Naqvi at the upcoming ICC (International Cricket Council) meeting in November.
Politics on the Pitch
This year’s Asia Cup was marred by political symbolism from both sides:
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Indian captain Kuldeep Yadav was accused of making political statements after the first match.
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Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf made political gestures during the second game.
The cricket rivalry, already one of the world’s most heated, has now become even more entangled with India-Pakistan political tensions, blurring the line between sportsmanship and geopolitics.
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