Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30 per cent of his match fee for his 'Pahalgam tribute' remark in the Asia Cup 2025 group-stage match against Pakistan on September 14, a PTI report said.
Following India's seven-wicket win, Yadav had dedicated the victory to the Indian Armed Forces and had sent solidarity greetings to the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan filed an official complaint against him, and the decision was said to have come after a hearing conducted by ICC match referee Richie Richardson. The report further added that India has appealed the ICC's order.
Sources at the ICC informed NDTV that an official release will give the "correct" amount of punishment. They said that the statement could be released only after the final of Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday.
Suryakumar pleaded not guilty to the charge and was reportedly advised not to utter any remarks that could be construed as political in the rest of the tournament.
Tensions between the two teams have been high, starting with India's refusal to join the traditional handshake with Pakistani players at the toss and after the match, as an act of sympathy with the Pahalgam victims.
Meanwhile, in a different development, Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf was also fined 30 per cent of his match fees for "rude and aggressive behaviour" during the Asia Cup Super 4s match against India last Sunday. But his teammate Sahibzada Farhan got a warning, no financial penalty, for his open-air gunshot gesture after scoring a half-century in the same game.
"Match referee Richie Richardson concluded his hearing on Friday afternoon at the team hotel. Haris Rauf has been fined 30 percent of his match fees for indiscipline, and Farhan has been given a warning," a tournament source in the know told PTI.
Previously, Rauf and Farhan had pleaded not guilty to their ICC hearing for allegedly provocative behavior in the Indian match, tournament sources said.
The hearing had been by Richardson at the Pakistan team hotel. Both were present physically, though their answers were presented in writing form. The duo was present with team manager Naveed Akram Cheema.
The BCCI had officially charged the two with making aggressive gestures in a complaint lodged on Wednesday. The two cricketing neighbours are again to clash against each other in the Asia Cup final on Sunday.
