Asia Cup 2025: If Suryakumar Yadav didn't make Pahalgam comments, he would still be a patriot, says Atul Wassan

Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has made a startling claim, stating that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was obliged to dedicate India’s Asia Cup 2025 group-stage victory against Pakistan to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Wassan suggested that Suryakumar’s post-match remarks were more an act of tokenism than a reflection of personal sentiment.

Earlier this month, following India’s win over Pakistan, Suryakumar had dedicated the triumph to those affected by the Pahalgam tragedy. The gesture, however, led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to file a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), after which the Indian batter was fined 30 percent of his match fees.

Wassan emphasized that the statement did not diminish Suryakumar’s patriotism, but argued that optics and public expectations often influence such declarations. He further compared the Indian captain’s gesture to the actions of Pakistan players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, who also made symbolic dedications during the September 21 clash in Dubai.

"In India, if I say that the match should continue because the government has allowed it, everybody is coming after me, but that doesn't make me less of a patriot. If I don't mention Pahalgam, that doesn't make me less of a patriot. I am against these optics and tokenism. If he hadn't said it, he would still be a patriot, because it's given that we are all there. But this is the kind of eyeballs and tokenism that people expected, and it acted like a balm, and lapped it up. But he was obliged to say it, just like they were obliged to do that," Wassan said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

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Earlier this week, the PCB lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, alleging that the Indian captain’s comments during the post-match presentation and press conference after the September 14 Asia Cup clash against Pakistan violated ICC regulations prohibiting political messaging. The PCB even urged the ICC to impose a Level 4 sanction, which is reserved for the most serious breaches of the Code of Conduct.

In its submission, the PCB cited previous instances where the ICC had taken a strict stance on similar matters. They pointed out how Australian batter Usman Khawaja was barred from wearing shoes with the message ‘Freedom is a human right’ during protests over Israel’s war in Gaza, with the governing body categorising such statements as political.

Suryakumar, however, reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charge. His defense was dismissed by ICC match referee Richie Richardson, who subsequently imposed a fine amounting to 30 percent of the player’s match fees. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has since appealed the decision.