Indian leaders have controversially mentioned politically charged victory as an extension of Operation Sindore.
Released on September 29, 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged the conflict with Pakistan in May. This led to nuclear-armed neighbors taking them to the focal point of the fifth all-out war, celebrating the final cricket victory of India’s Asian Cup against the enemy of the region’s arch.
“#operationsindoor on the Games field. The results are the same. India wins! Congratulations to the cricketers,” Modi posted on X on Monday.
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Modi was referring to a four-day conflict between the two countries in May, focusing on India-controlled Kashmir, following the attack that killed 22 tourists who denounced Pakistan, accusations that Islamabad has violently denied.
During the conflict, Modi announced “Operation Sindoor” in response to the attack, which raised tensions and led to retaliation from Pakistan. The brief conflict killed more than 70 people in missile and drone attacks, both sides claiming victory.
In June, an Indian naval officer admitted that the country lost several fighter jets to the Pakistan fire during the conflict in May, saying the loss was the result of “constraints” placed on the Indian troops by the government of New Delhi.
India and Pakistan traded few others after Indian cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakistani counterparts in the Asian Cup final.
After India defeated Pakistan with five wickets at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, the Indian team refused to accept the trophies from Pakistan’s Cricket Committee (PCB) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Home Minister.
Former New Zealand cricketer and broadcaster Simon Dur, citing the ACC, announced that the Indian team would not collect the award due to tensions.
Over the course of the tournament, the Indian team refused to shake hands with the Pakistani team in one of the three matches that both played.
Naqvi reportedly refused to resign from the presentation ceremony and handed out the awards in full.
Indian player Tilak Balma, who won the player in the match, Abhishek Sharma, who won the player in the tournament, and Kuldeep Yadav, who won the most valuable player in the match, showed up to accept individual awards, but did not recognize NAQVI.
The Pakistani official was the only person on the stage that did not praise the Indian trio.
At a post-match meeting, Yadav said he had “never seen” the winning team denying the trophy.
However, Pakistani captain Salman Aga has accused India of behaviour during the tournament as “bad to cricket”.
“What they did today, a good team doesn’t do that. A good team does what we did. We waited for the medal and took it,” Aga said.
India’s Cricket Committee (BCCI) Chief Devajit Saikia announced that the board will protest against NAQVI at the next meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to be held in November.
India’s captain Yadav was accused of making a political statement after the first match, while Pakistani opener Sabizada Farhan and Pacer Harris Rauf made political gestures for the second time.
