THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
India’s victory in the 2025 T20 World Cup was a moment of extraordinary national pride. Every Indian — Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian — celebrated as one. It was not a victory for one community. It was a victory for 140 crore people of every faith, every caste, every corner of this diverse nation.
So why did three powerful men decide otherwise?
Captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and ICC chairman Jay Shah took the World Cup trophy — a national symbol — to a Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad. In doing so, they did not just make a personal religious choice. They made a statement. And that statement was wrong.
Kirti Azad called it out. He was absolutely right to do so.
Look Who Actually Won This World Cup
Let us be very clear about who delivered this victory.
Jasprit Bumrah, Sikh, was the leading wicket-taker of the entire tournament. He was the most feared bowler. Without him, there is no trophy. Arshdeep Singh, also a Sikh, supported him. Sanju Samson, a Christian from Kerala, played a breathtaking match-winning innings — and when he finished, he dropped to his knees, removed his helmet, and made the sign of the cross. His God is not the God of the Hanuman Temple. Mohammed Siraj, a Muslim from Hyderabad, was also part of this squad.
These men bled for India. They did not bleed for any one religion.
So when the trophy was carried into a Hindu temple, what message did that send to Arshdeep? To Bumrah? To Samson? To Siraj? That their contribution was celebrated in a place of worship that is not theirs?
That is not just insensitive. It is a betrayal of what this team stands for.
1983 Showed Us How It Should Be Done
Cast your mind back to 1983 — perhaps the greatest moment in Indian cricket history.
That team was every bit as diverse as today’s. Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a turbaned Sikh, bowled the legendary delivery that sent Gordon Greenidge back to the pavilion in the final. He was hit on the helmet by the fearsome Malcolm Marshall — and rather than flinch, he hit a boundary off the very next ball. Roger Binny, a Christian, was the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. Syed Kirmani, a Muslim, was the heartbeat behind the stumps.
Kapil Dev lifted that trophy for all of them. For all of India.
Nobody marched that trophy into a temple. Nobody took it to a mosque or a church either. It was placed where it belonged — in the hands of the nation. That was the right thing to do. It remains the right thing to do.
This Is a Constitutional Issue, Not Just a Sentiment
India is not just culturally diverse — it is constitutionally secular. The men who took that trophy to a temple are not ordinary citizens making a private religious choice. Jay Shah is the ICC Chairman. Gautam Gambhir is the national head coach. Suryakumar Yadav is the national captain. They are custodians of Indian cricket — an institution that belongs to every Indian.
When men in these positions of power take a national symbol to one religion’s place of worship, they are not expressing personal faith. They are making an official statement. And that statement has no place in a secular republic.
Silence is Not Acceptable
What is most troubling is how few people have spoken up. Kirti Azad raised his voice and was immediately ridiculed and attacked. Harbhajan Singh accused him of politicising a simple act. But there was nothing simple about it. Taking the national trophy — won by Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus together — into a Hindu temple is a political act, whether intended or not.
Azad may have been a modest cricketer in his playing days. But on this issue, he has shown more courage than most. He deserves credit, not ridicule.
A Final Word
Sport is one of the last truly unifying forces in India. When Arshdeep takes a wicket, all of India cheers. When Samson hits a six, all of India rises. When Bumrah bowls, all of India holds its breath. That unity is precious. It is fragile. And it must be protected.
The World Cup trophy belongs to the streets of Kerala and the fields of Punjab. To the mosques of Hyderabad and the churches of Goa. To every village, town, and city across this vast country.
It did not belong in that temple. And we should all be willing to say so.
“A sportsperson or sport does not belong to any religion or caste — but only to the sport.”
— Kirti Azad
Reference
1.https://x.com/i/status/2030979146701271128
