Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday intensified his criticism of Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, this time targeting the cricketer for shaking hands with Pakistan's team captain despite earlier protocol decisions.
The controversy erupted after Bharadwaj posted a video on social media platform X, where he spoke to ANI about the Indian cricket team's interactions during the Asia Cup series. According to Bharadwaj, while the team avoided taking the trophy from PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi's hands, there were alleged discrepancies in the diplomatic protocols.
"When this series started, the captain of the Indian team got a photo clicked with Naqvi alongside the cup and also shook hands with him. Then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flipped the script, because they saw that people were opposing the match being played against Pakistan," Bharadwaj stated in the video.
The AAP leader pointed to what he described as contradictory behavior during the tournament's proceedings. He alleged that while it was decided the Indian team wouldn't shake hands with the Pakistan team, the captain's actions suggested otherwise.
"During the captains' press conference of Asia Cup, the captain did not shake hands with the captain of Pakistan on the stage. But immediately after, he shook hands with the Pakistani captain," Bharadwaj explained.
This latest criticism follows Bharadwaj's earlier challenge to Suryakumar Yadav regarding donations to families affected by the Pahalgam terror attack. The AAP leader had questioned the sincerity of the cricket captain's tribute to the attack victims following India's comfortable victory over Pakistan.
The controversy gained momentum after India's thrilling Asia Cup 2025 final victory against Pakistan in Dubai. Following the match, Suryakumar Yadav announced his decision to donate all individual match fees from the tournament to support the Pahalgam attack victims.
"I have decided to donate my match fees from this tournament to support our Armed Forces and the families of the victims who suffered from the Pahalgam terror attack. You always remain in my thoughts. Jai Hind," the captain wrote on X.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya praised Yadav's response on Monday, describing it as a fitting reply to Bharadwaj's challenge. "The two-penny AAP MLA, clown of Arvind Kejriwal, had the audacity to challenge Team India's captain to donate his match fee to the Armed Forces in support of the Pahalgam terror attack victims. Our captain responded in style," Malviya posted on X.
The initial challenge came when Bharadwaj questioned the authenticity of Yadav's dedication of the victory to the Pahalgam terror attack victims. Speaking to reporters in the national capital, the AAP leader had issued a broader challenge to the cricket establishment.
"He said he dedicated this win to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack so easily. You are very understanding. 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," Bharadwaj had stated.
Team India's Asia Cup victory marked another chapter in the intense India-Pakistan rivalry, however, it has become entangled in political sparring.
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