As India emerged victorious against its arch-rival, Pakistan, on Sunday in a thrilling finale of the Asia Cup. The entire nation wished the Indian cricket team hearty congratulations and thanked the men in blue for giving them a moment of pride. Amid the wishes, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also extended his wishes to the team, praising their performance.
Ajit Pawar, while speaking to the media on Monday, asserted, “I extend my best wishes to all the players and congratulate them. But in this whole matter, there is one section of people who feel that because of what Pakistan did in between, which forced us to carry out Operation Sindoor, we should not have played matches with Pakistan.”
While slamming the opposition over their alleged remarks on withdrawing Team India`s participation from playing against Pakistan, Ajit Pawar said that sports should not be dragged into these issues.
Pune: India defeats Pakistan in #AsiaCupFinal | Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar says, “I extend my best wishes to all the players and congratulate them. But in this whole matter, there is one section of people who feel that because of what Pakistan did in between, which forced… pic.twitter.com/TOVk4nO4pe
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2025
While also putting light on the conclusion of the Asia Cup, he said, “On the other hand, some people say that sports should not be dragged into these issues. In short, there are different opinions from different people, but the matches have now happened, and eventually, these discussions will come to an end.”
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s views reflect the ongoing debate in India about the intersection of sports and politics, especially in high-profile encounters between India and Pakistan. Despite differing opinions, Pawar emphasised that the focus should remain on celebrating the team’s victory.
On the contrary, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut slammed the Indian cricket team for their participation in the tournament.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Raut, while posting a video on social media platform X, wrote that, “At the beginning of the series, 15 days ago, I even shook hands with Pakistan`s minister Mohsin Naqvi and got a photo taken.”
Senior leader Raut also highlighted that the Indian cricket team’s decision of not to receive the trophy from the PCB officials and Pakistani ministers was nothing but a ‘drama’.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, while emphasising that the discussions about India playing against Pakistan might end after India’s win, said that, “In short, there are different opinions from different people, but the matches have now happened, and eventually, these discussions will come to an end…”
