Asia Cup 2025: Captains of India and Pakistan donate prize earnings to victims of terror attacks from their countries

Dubai: In a move that transcended the sporting rivalry, both the Indian and Pakistani team captains announced they would be donating their respective sides' Asia Cup prize money earnings to aid the victims of recent terror attacks in their countries.

This gesture added a significant humanitarian dimension to the tournament’s conclusion.

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, following the team's victory, announced a donation of his entire tournament match fees—a total of Rs28 lakh (Rs4 lakh per match for seven games)—to the Indian Armed Forces and the families of the victims of the terror attack that occurred in April.

It was immediately countered by Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who announced that the Pakistani team would similarly donate their match fees to "all the civilians who lost their lives during the Indian attack and to our kids who were affected by it."

These announcements followed India securing a record ninth Asia Cup title in 2025, defeating rivals Pakistan by five wickets in a tense final.

The victory earned the Indian team a historic prize purse of $300,000 (approximately Rs 20.5 million), a 50% increase from the 2023 tournament. Runners-up Pakistan received $75,000 (around Rs 66.75 lakh).

On the field, the final was decided by key performances from India's young talent. Tilak Varma guided India's chase with an unbeaten 69, while Kuldeep Yadav’s crucial spell of 4/30 helped restrict Pakistan's innings and anchor the win.