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Following India's triumph in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan on Sunday, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that "there's no doubt that even on the field, we were seeing Operation Sindoor" and described the victory as an act of patriotism that uplifted the nation's pride.
Tiwari said India is "compelled" to face Pakistan in international sports events like the Olympics and the Asia Cup, but added that accepting a trophy from Pakistan is not a necessity. "We do not want to keep any relationship with Pakistan. We are compelled to play against Pakistan in the Olympics, Asia Cup... but taking the trophy from a Pakistani is not a compulsion," he said to ANI. He further applauded the team's performance, saying, "We thank the Indian cricket team and BCCI for their patriotism that they have held the heads of Indians high with pride. There is no doubt that even on the field, we were seeing Operation Sindoor." Meanwhile, Indian batter Tilak Varma received a rousing welcome back home at Hyderabad following his heroics in the Asia Cup final against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The young left-handed batter was greeted with a massive crowd and plenty of media attention, with people chanting his name amid the sounds of dhol. It was his mature 69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes and partnerships with Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, which guided India to a successful chase of 147 runs after they were down at 20/3. Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. An 84-run stand between Sahidzada Farhan (57 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Pakistan the headstart they needed. However, thanks to the magic of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) in the middle overs, Pakistan faced a collapse from 113/1 in 12.4 overs to 146 all out in 19.1 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) also getting the final two wickets. During the run-chase, India sank to 20/3 due to an initial burst from Faheem Ashraf (3/29). However, Tilak Varma (69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes), stitched a 57-run stand with Sanju Samson (24 in 21 balls, with two fours and a six) to bring India back into the game. Shivam Dube (33 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes) delivered some carnage with Tilak, solidifying India's hold on the game despite some occasional brilliance from Pakistan. In the end, it was Rinku Singh, who was featuring in his first Asia Cup match, who got the chance to hit the winning runs on the first ball. (ANI)
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