Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian cricket team captain, has found himself in hot water with the International Cricket Council (ICC) following comments he made after India's Asia Cup match against Pakistan on September 14, 2025. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, alleging that Yadav made "political statements" during the post-match presentation.

Specifically, the PCB took issue with Yadav dedicating India's victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and expressing solidarity with the Indian armed forces. During the post-match ceremony, Yadav said, "Perfect occasion, taking the time out, we stand by the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. We express our solidarity... Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery". He further stated that the Indian team followed BCCI and government instructions by avoiding post-match handshakes with Pakistani players.

The PCB claimed that these remarks were political in nature and violated the ICC's code of conduct, which emphasizes neutrality in cricket. They also pointed to Yadav's comments regarding the team's decision not to shake hands with Pakistani players after the match. When questioned about the "no-handshake" gesture and whether it was politically motivated, Yadav stated that "A few things in life are ahead of 'sportsman spirit'," and that the team had clarified their stance of standing by the Pahalgam victims.

The ICC has acknowledged the complaint and initiated a review. According to reports, ICC match referee Richie Richardson sent an email to the Indian team management, stating that after examining the evidence, Yadav's comments were deemed to have potentially harmed the image of the sport. Richardson reportedly concluded that charges should be brought against Yadav for conduct that brings the game into dispute by making inappropriate comments detrimental to the interest of the game.

Yadav attended a hearing with Richardson on Thursday, accompanied by BCCI COO Hemang Amin and Cricket Operations Manager Sumeet Mallapurkar. While the official decision is still pending, it is expected that Yadav will receive a warning and likely be fined. Some reports suggest that he may also be given a demerit point. However, it appears unlikely that he will face a match ban.

The incident has sparked considerable debate, with some arguing that Yadav's comments were insensitive and violated the spirit of the game, while others maintain that he was simply expressing solidarity with his country and its people.

In addition to the complaint against Yadav, the BCCI has also reportedly lodged a complaint against Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for alleged "objectionable gestures" during the same match. Their meeting with the ICC match referee is scheduled to take place on Friday.