India's thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final has triggered an outpouring of joy and celebration across the nation, with celebrities from Bollywood and beyond joining in the excitement. Among those who shared their elation was veteran actor Anupam Kher, who expressed his feelings in a spirited video posted on Instagram.
In the video, Kher can be seen punching the air and chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai! Kya Baat Hai! What a game! Oh my God. Jeetenge bhai jeetenge. Bharat Mata ki Jai! Vande Mataram!". He further added, "Khush ho gaya dil. Kya bolun main? Superb. Proud of my country, proud of this cricket team. Fantastic, very well played. God bless them," showcasing his immense pride and happiness. Kher also thumped his chest and blew kisses in the video, with the caption, "Bharat Mata ki jai! #Cricket #AsiaCupFinal #TeamIndia #Cricket".
The match saw India secure their record-extending ninth Asia Cup title, but the road to victory was far from easy. Pakistan were bowled out for a modest 146, thanks to a sensational spell by Kuldeep Yadav, who took 4 wickets for 30 runs. However, India's chase started shakily, with the team struggling at 20/3. It was then that Tilak Varma stepped up with a gritty, unbeaten 69, supported by Shivam Dube's quickfire 33, to guide India to a thrilling victory.
Varma's composed innings under pressure earned him praise from all quarters, including actor Vijay Deverakonda, who wrote, "Indiaaaaaaaaa. Our Boy killed it". Preity Zinta also lauded India's top performers, tweeting, "Wow !!! What a game. CONGRATULATIONS to Team India for winning the Asia Cup! Thank you, Tilak, Shivam & Kuldeep, for this thrilling victory".
Other celebrities who joined in celebrating India's win included Amitabh Bachchan, who shared a witty post referencing his son Abhishek Bachchan. Mammootty wrote, "Team India didn't just win the Asia Cup, they owned it. Champions without a single defeat. Absolutely magnificent!". Anil Kapoor echoed the sentiment with a simple yet powerful "India Zindabad".
However, the victory was followed by a controversial incident, as the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Interior Minister of Pakistan. According to sources, the Indian team was not awarded the trophy after they refused to take it from Mohsin Naqvi. The ceremony was delayed by over an hour and concluded without a trophy presentation. Despite the controversy, the Indian players took to social media to celebrate the win, with some posting pictures featuring trophy emojis in place of the actual cup.
