By Zainab Shafiq 
The ongoing Asia Cup found itself entangled in yet another off-field controversy on Thursday as the ICC warns Suryakumar Yadav over comments deemed political in nature. The decision followed a formal hearing in Dubai, overseen by match referee Richie Richardson, after Pakistan lodged a complaint against India’s T20I captain.
While no further sanctions have yet been confirmed, the ICC cautioned Suryakumar against remarks that could cross into political territory. The complaint stemmed from his post-match press conference on September 14, when India beat Pakistan in the group stage. During that interaction, Suryakumar used the term “Operation Sindoor,” dedicating the win to “the victims of the terror attacks as well as India’s armed forces.”
The PCB leadership had highlighted the remark in a Lahore press conference last week, formally accusing Suryakumar of politicizing cricket.
ICC Warns Suryakumar Yadav Amid Broader Tensions
The warning comes against a backdrop of rising disputes between the two cricket boards. Just days earlier, the PCB had filed a separate protest against match referee Andy Pycroft, who controversially “requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss” before a Pakistan fixture. That episode almost spiraled when Pakistan delayed their arrival for a subsequent match against UAE, eventually relenting only after Pycroft apologized for what he called a “miscommunication.”
The disciplinary proceedings are not confined to India. On Friday, the ICC will also hear India’s counter-complaint regarding on-field gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during their fiery Super Fours clash.
Farhan, pressed about his machine-gun celebration after a half-century against India, dismissed the criticism:
“That celebration was just a moment at that time. I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring fifty. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that.”
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