Suryakumar Yadav found guilty by ICC over post-match comments after India-Pakistan group match in Asia Cup

India captain Suryakumar Yadav was found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct for his comments following the Men in Blue’s seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their Asia Cup Group A match against Pakistan in Dubai on 14 September.

Surya had dedicated the victory to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack as well as the Indian armed forces for ‘Operation Sindoor’ – New Delhi’s subsequent military response – which led to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filing a complaint before the International Cricket Council against the India captain.

He would then reiterate his comments during the post-match press conference while defending India’s decision to not shake hands with their Pakistani opponents after the match.

SKY’s ’not guilty’ plea rejected by ICC

The India captain’s ’not guilty’ plea has since been rejected by ICC match referee Richie Richardson, who has found ‘SKY’ guilty of breaching the Code of Conduct for comments in reference to the military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, according to ESPNCricinfo.

While the exact sanction could not be confirmed right away, Surya is likely to face a fine or demerit points for his comments.

Surya’s hearing had taken place on Thursday, a day before Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf attended their hearings for making controversial gestures in the Super 4s meeting with India that led to a BCCI complaint.

Opener Farhan had celebrated his half-century against the Men in Blue by firing an imaginary gun using his bat while Rauf make “6-0” and “falling fighter jet” gestures while fielding near the boundary line, in reference to the Pakistan armed forces’ claim of downing six Indian fighter jets during the conflict in May.

Farhan has since been let off with a warning after he claimed that his gesture was part of his culture, with celebratory firings common across Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – where he hails from. Rauf’s defence of not making any reference to India in his gestures, however, was rejected during the Friday hearing, and the pacer was subsequently fined 30 per cent of his match fee.