- 11 months ago
On the show India First, the main story is India's victory in the Asia Cup and the controversial aftermath. After defeating Pakistan, Team India refused to accept the trophy from Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, citing his hostile attitude towards India. This resulted in Naqvi leaving the venue with the trophy and medals. The program covers Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media post that stated, “Operation Sindoor on the games field, outcome is the same, India wins!” It also reports on Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav pledging his match fees to the armed forces and victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. The show, hosted by Gaurav Sawant, delves into the political and sporting fallout, questioning Pakistan's conduct and what is described as India's 'Naya Bharat' response on both the cricket field and the battlefield.
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00:00Good evening on India First this evening.
00:04India's spectacular victory in the Asia Cup
00:07and Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsen Nakwee's rather churlish behaviour
00:12walking away with the trophy and the medals
00:15because Indian players had made it very clear
00:17their decision not to accept the trophy from Pakistan's Interior Minister
00:23given his rather hostile attitude towards India.
00:28Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media post
00:31Operation Sindhuur on the Games Field
00:34outcome is the same. India wins.
00:38That's resulted in what is being described as a thermonuclear outrage in Pakistan
00:46and of course some back home are equally outraged.
00:51That's our top focus on India.
00:58India's Operation Sindhuur 2.0 in Dubai.
01:09The best moment to at least dedicate
01:13to all the armed forces and also the victims of Pelga.
01:19Waqa nails the Yorker, does Bumrah.
01:25Bumrah crashes Rov's jet drama.
01:28Loser Pakistan resorts to Trophy Chori
01:42Modi hails Operation Sindhuur on field
01:50Pakistan Stumped
02:02Pakistan Stumped
02:03Terroristan Snubbed
02:05Battlefield to Cricket Field
02:18India's New Normal
02:20The scorecard is very important both on the battlefield and on the cricket field.
02:31So on the battlefield, remember on the 10th of May, Pakistan had lost nine terror bases
02:38including the headquarters of terror at Mureetken Bahawalpur, six radar stations including at Pasroor
02:45and Muleetken Tornment in Karachi and 11 air bases including Noor Khan, Sargodha, Raheem Yarkhan and Jacob Abad.
02:53On the cricket field, Pakistan lost every match to India in the Asia Cup.
03:00But the scorecard in T20 encounters, as Team India skipper Surya Kumar Yadav put it, shows Pakistan is not a right.
03:09You know it's a fact, for decades, for decades India permitted Pakistan to punch far above its weight and not just in cricket.
03:18Actually in conflict and even in diplomacy.
03:22Why was a puny Pakistan permitted to punch far above its weight and consider itself anywhere close to India, it defies logic.
03:31But Surya Kumar Yadav called a spade a spade, Pakistan is no rival, let alone being an archrival.
03:37We are number one, we are what number seven or something, this is Nayab Bharat.
03:42It does not permit Pakistan to punch above its weight, be it the battlefield or the cricket field, I get you that story.
03:50Coming up at 8.30 tonight, Army Bombs, Navy Blocks and Air Force decimals.
03:56Three top commanders, Lefty General Dheeraj Seth is Army Commander Southern Command, Air Marshal Surat Singh is Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Air Command
04:04and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan is Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.
04:11Three very crucial operational commands and the commanders joined me at the India Today conclave.
04:18They joined me at the India Today conclave to talk about lessons drawn from Operation Sindhuur for future conflict.
04:25We get to that at 8.30 tonight.
04:28I'm Gaurav Savant, as always, let's get started with the headlines on India First.
04:37Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails the men in blue for Asia Cup win, takes a dig at Pakistan after Asia Cup win,
04:45says Operation Sindhuur on the cricket field, outcome is the same, Pakistan's Asia Cup chief boasts of his imaginary victory.
04:55Opposition mocks Team India, sees nationalism drama, BJP slams the Aam Admi Party after Sourabh Bharadwaj challenges Surya Kumar Yadav to help Pahalgaam widows.
05:12This comes after Surya decided to dedicate the match fees to Pahalgaam victims and our armed forces.
05:19Vijay not named is accused in the stampede FIR, culpable homicide charges on key aides.
05:31TN Chief Minister MK Stalin's big warning on the stampede says don't spread rumours on social media.
05:36Uttar Pradesh police names the arrested cleric Mawlana Taukir Raza Khan as accused number one in the Bareli violence case.
05:52Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had pledged Jhingur Baba-like fate for those wanting to disturb peace and tranquility in Uttar Pradesh.
06:06Prime Minister Narendra Modi bends a forward for Italian Prime Minister's memoir, calls it Man Ki Baat,
06:19hails Giorgia Meloni's inspiring journey in that forward.
06:24Pakistan's middle order collapsed like a house of cards facing Team India in the finals of the Asia Cup in Dubai last night.
06:43This is quite like the Pakistani armed forces collapsing after 9 terror bases, 6 radar stations and 11 air bases were bombed by India during Operation Sindur.
06:54Those 88 hours leading up to the 10th of May, Pakistan begging for a ceasefire.
07:01As Team India celebrated our spectacular win, defeating Pakistan comprehensively in every encounter,
07:09Pakistan's Interior Minister Mawseen Nakwee, who wears multiple hats including Pakistan Cricket Board Chief and Asian Cricket Council President behaved in a rather churlish manner.
07:19And we'll show you images how he literally had his team walk away with the Asia Cup trophy and medals when Team India, post-Pahalga Amp Terror, refused to accept the trophy from him.
07:34India today's Nikhil Naz is in Dubai.
07:37He gets you our top story.
07:38From the battlefield of Operation Sindur to the Asia Cup final in Dubai, India decimates Pakistan.
07:55It's over. It's India who win the Asia Cup for the ninth time. It's been a thrilling final.
08:03The Asia Cup finale was just not a game. It was a masterclass in cricket and character.
08:14And a huge sigh of relief in that dugout.
08:18Pakistan tried to flex with war gestures. India answered Pakistan.
08:23If Harris Roth provoked with jet drowning gestures, Jaspreet Bumrah responded by shattering his thumbs.
08:33After defeating Pakistan by five wickets, Team India refused to collect the trophy from the man,
08:41who also happens to be the interior minister in the Shahbaz Sharif government, which sponsors terrorism.
08:48The massacre of 26 people in Pahalgaam was the latest in a long series of terror attacks plotted from Pakistani soil.
08:56Mawseen Nakvi stood on the stage for nearly an hour, ignored, dismissed.
09:07I think this is the best moment to at least dedicate any match fees I will get to Asia Cup to all the armed forces and also the victims of Pahalgaam.
09:20Because if you can do small things, then you will have to go to your country.
09:22You are the country.
09:23In the game, everything is under the ground.
09:24There is aggression also comes to the ballers.
09:27There is a game against the fielders.
09:28There is a game against everyone.
09:29When India denied to take the trophy from Nakhvi, he left to the cup and medals.
09:40The BCCI has now filed a complaint with the ICC, demanding the immediate return of what belongs to Team India.
09:47We have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan.
09:56But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him along with the medals.
10:01So it is very unfortunate, very unsporting, and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India.
10:08Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's social media post calling the win Operation Sindhoor on the field lit a fire across the border.
10:17Nakhvi responded, claiming imaginary victories as Pakistani media and fans roasted their own team and leadership.
10:26Rajesh Narwal, father of Vinay Narwal, who lost his life in the Pahlgaam terror attack, bagged the men in blue.
10:47Suryakumar Dev captain, the captain of this trophy, which was 22 April 2025, who was the victim of the victim,
10:58they all had a smirked, they all had a smirked, this trophy.
11:03So the team and the team have shown this, this is a country.
11:08India did not just win the Asia cup. It won hearts. From the battlefield to the cricket
11:23field, India reigns supreme. Bureau report, India Today.
11:30You know Mohsen Nakwe and his people may walk away with the physical trophy, but look at
11:40that expression, not just on Surya Kumar Yadav's face, but entire team India, that jubilation,
11:45that excitement, you can never take that away from team India. We know how to win. We know
11:51how to celebrate. Now team India skipper Surya Kumar Yadav, he's pledged his entire match
11:55fees for all the Asia cup matches to the army and to the families of the Pehelgaam terror
12:01victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hailed the cricket victory like the Operation Sindur
12:06victory. Is this the Naya Bharat response that has actually rattled the Pakistan state? Joining
12:13me on India first is Shishir Hatangari, former Mumbai cricket captain. Chandrasekhar Luthra
12:17is a very senior and respected sports journalist, as is Nikhil Naaz. Kalsan Tildare at our Sports
12:22of India Today's Sports Today Network. Nikhil, you're joining us from Dubai. For 45 minutes,
12:29and we were listening to your conversation with Sky, for 45 minutes, the team waited for
12:35Mohsen Nakwe to step aside for the awards ceremony after winning the Asia cup. He churlishly
12:41walked away with the trophy in tow. What's the buzz in Dubai? How did the team react to this?
12:48Does the board intend doing anything about this?
12:54Okay, I'll try and answer all those questions, Gaurav. Let's start about how is it that the
12:59team reacted? I spoke to Surakumar Yadav a short while ago. He also attended the press conference
13:05and in the last 12-word hours that I've had conversations with him, the one thing that's
13:09really stood out is the fact that they are not fretting over that trophy which is materialistic,
13:15that one trophy. For them, they won the Asia cup and that is it. You heard in the conversation
13:20that I had with him, he said that, listen, at the end of the day, it goes up. India are
13:24Asia cup champions. He said, that's enough for me. My trophy, he said, are those 14 other players
13:29who are part of the squad, the support staff that was part of the squad. We won it and
13:33that in itself is a big trophy for us. So that's how the team has reacted in the most
13:38dignified way possible. However, he also did add that, listen, we worked hard to win this
13:43title and if we worked hard, we deserve to have that trophy. Now, what happens next is
13:47your next question. Well, Maussi Nakwee did walk away with that trophy but remember that
13:52is not his personal belonging. Quite often in gully cricket, we have that scenario, right?
13:56If you get out and you own the bat, you say, I won't play. But in that case, at least you
14:02own the bat. In this case, this is a rotating trophy. It goes across to every team that wins
14:08the Asia cup. This time, of course, India won it nine times, most by any country. This
14:12time it was India's chance to be holding that trophy and what he's done actually is brought
14:17upon a lot more embarrassment for himself, Gaurav, Maussi Nakwee, because eventually he knows
14:22the trophy is going to go. So the best thing would have been just step aside. There
14:26were other dignitaries at the dais. They could have very well have given the trophy. Let
14:29me give you some past examples. The last Asia cup, I was here in 2022. Sri Lanka and Pakistan
14:36played the final. You know who the ACC president was? It was Jaisha. But he did not come out
14:41to give the trophy. He allowed somebody else to give the trophy. I'll give you the examples
14:44of the Olympics. I've covered multiple Olympic games. The medal, whoever is the gold medal winner,
14:49the person who comes to give the medal is from that country. So clearly, you can always
14:53look to that, you know, have that sort of a rotation. There was a Bangladesh cricket boat
14:57president who was there. The vice president of the Emirates cricket boat was there who
15:01was an invited dignity. Anyone could have given the trophy. But I think eventually it is that
15:06ego of one man who did not want to move from there. He's taken the trophy with him. Like
15:12a child would take his back from a gully game. But it is now gone back. But that's exactly what
15:16they're fit for. Gully cricket and nothing more. The embarrassment is going to haunt Pakistan much
15:22longer and I hope it continues to do so. Embarrassment, I don't think he, he, he, I don't
15:28think he thought it forward because eventually what is going to happen is that for two days
15:32you'll keep it there. Eventually it has to go to the BCCI headquarters. How are you going
15:36to have any face saving exercise then? So I think he should have thought it over, should
15:39have been dignified enough to allow the winning team to go with the trophy. But as I said,
15:43the Indian team is completely not fretting over this. They've won the trophy. Oh, absolutely.
15:47Everyone knows that they are the champions. Stay with me. Shishir Hatangani, skipper
15:52Surykumar Yadav and the team waited 45 long minutes for the trophy to be awarded. It was
15:57their hard work and through the series, after India had made it very clear they will not accept
16:04it given Mohsin Nakwee's anti-India stance. In your appreciation, should
16:09Nakwee have stepped aside and in your view, can action be taken against him for walking
16:15away with the trophy and the medals to his hotel?
16:17Gaurav, yes. I mean, before I begin, you know, actually Nikhil has taken a script out of my
16:24mouth. I was going to talk about when we were kids, how the guy who owned the cricket bat actually
16:29walked away when he was given out. And rightly said, the bat does not belong to him. So the trophy
16:37doesn't belong to him. It belongs to the ACC. It is not his personal property. The fact that India had
16:45made it very clear, they didn't want to shake hands. They didn't want to accept the trophy. It should
16:50have been very clear in his mind. And the ego, his ego or his position as the chief of the ACC
16:55shouldn't have come in the way. What he should have done gracefully, given it to somebody else to hand over
17:01the trophy because 45 minutes of waiting and, you know, the broadcasting time and just about the
17:07embarrassment of a country that is lost in a final, then the chairman behaving like a schoolboy,
17:15all added up to the frustration of a team that has been beaten 3-0.
17:19Oh, absolutely. Though I have a different take on it. And I, and I, while I completely agree with you,
17:25Shishnabai, you know, Pakistani mindset, and especially with an Aasem Munir as the army chief,
17:31we will see more of this in the times ahead because of that radical Islamist mindset that Aasem Munir
17:38displays. His minions will have to follow suit. But let me also bring in Chandrasekhar Lutra into this
17:43conversation. Sir, can and should action be taken against Mohsen Nakwee? Was his conduct as ACC chief,
17:51the cricket council, Asian cricket council chief in conflict with either Pakistan cricket board chief
17:57or interior minister of Pakistan or the lackey of Aasem Munir? All of this in conflict with his
18:04cricketing role here. Well, Gaurav, let me tell you, only the half-truth has been told to your viewers.
18:11So let me explain this also. Okay. First of all, congratulations, Team India. They played
18:16tremendously well. I've never seen some youngsters, you know, you know, playing such good cricket with
18:22composer and, and taking the, taking it to the last and, and winning it from the jaws of defeat. So
18:28a wonderful cricket. But what has happened, what Nikhil was telling, you know, my younger brother,
18:34I've also covered so many Olympics and other games. So let me tell you, it is always been a protocol
18:40that whosoever is there. Nikhil, you also please listen carefully, that it is there in your menu,
18:46which, which is given to you in the Olympics and everywhere, that whatever be the, be the event,
18:54the, the, the, the medal present there, name is always been there, whether it's from some countries,
19:00some organization, whatever, it is always pre-decided that such and such person will give this prize to
19:06him, whether it belongs to that country or not. Because before medal winning, before that event,
19:12you are not aware whether Neera Chopra is going to win or, or what Nadeem is there, you know, Pakistani.
19:19So imagine, I mean, so that is half truth, half hidden. And second thing is, who started all this?
19:27And, and, and I'm very, I mean, I was so feeling so pain. I was so pained by, by the tweet of our
19:35prime minister. I have never seen in my lifetime as a, as a sports reporter for last three decades or more,
19:41some prime minister, some head of the institution, you know, treating like this. It has never been,
19:47you always congratulate both teams. You always congratulate your players for playing such a
19:52glorious game, you know, but again, this was in a very bad taste. Who started this? We started it.
19:59We made a political statement. Pakistan only responded. I'm not with Pakistani. I always
20:04wanted India to win. But the point is, when you make a political statement, they are also under
20:10pressure. And Mohsin Nakfi, whether you like it or not, he was as a ACC chief, he had all the right to
20:16give the trophies to somebody else, to, to, to the winning team. Whether, whether team India has,
20:23has given this in writing to ICC or ACC that will not receive trophies, I don't think so.
20:29Okay. Ask, ask Nikhil. That was not the case.
20:32I will get Nikhil to respond, but on Pakistan and on the prime minister's tweet, I would like to,
20:37to respond, but give me a moment. Nikhil, you want to quickly respond to the point
20:40that, you know, Mr. Luthra says it's half-truth because Mr. Luthra very conveniently, you know,
20:46ignores the point that you raised about Jay Shah not awarding it last year. But go on. Nikhil, complete your point.
20:56Yeah, those couple of points that I was making, Gaurav. One, I take you back to the Olympic Games.
21:02It is, in fact, decided at the last moment. If you take a look at Neera Chopra winning that gold medal,
21:06it was given by the head of the Indian Athletics Federation. When, when you had Arshad Nadeem win
21:14the title, it was given from, from the Pakistan point of view. So you can take a decision last
21:18moment because they allow their athlete to take a medal from their own dignitary. It's not pre-decided
21:23because you don't know who's going to be winning the title, but their dignitary is present from all
21:28associations and the gold medalist is then allowed that courtesy to be taking a medal from the president
21:33of his own association. It's, it, it's happened. So that can be rotated even at the last moment.
21:38That happens at the Olympic Games. Going back to the Asian Cricket Council, I just gave you an example.
21:42In 2022, I was here. Jay Shah was the head of the Asian Cricket Council. He did not give the trophy.
21:48My point is at the end of the day, if you want to, and we are talking about the spirit of the sport,
21:53we're talking about, you know, let, let the game be played in, in the right manner. And I think,
21:58you know, Shekar, who I've known for a very, very long time, he points to two things that, you know,
22:02it wasn't the right precedent. Why didn't you want to take the trophy from Mohsin Nakfi? Now I'm trying
22:07to put myself in the, in the boots of the Indian players. This is the same Mohsin Nakfi. And you're
22:13talking about the tweet that was put out of the prime minister. This is the same Mohsin Nakfi who puts
22:17a tweet of a football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, you know, making that gesture about a jet going down.
22:23And that comes from his official handle. How would you see an Indian player then walking up and
22:28collecting a trophy from a man like this? And my point is, does his ego have to really come in?
22:33There is no hard and fast rule. There are other dignitaries there as well. Take a look at the
22:37Pakistan team. They received their medals from the boss of the Bangladesh, uh, cricket board. So,
22:43really, if you wanted to have the ceremony, you're the head of ACC, you want neutrality, you could have
22:48allowed anyone to take that trophy and go away. Let me, let me also. No, either I'll give it or not.
22:54And then how do you expect the players to collect the trophy from you after you put a tweet out like
22:58that? No, and obnoxious anti-India statements that have come from him, uh, that Shekhar that you must
23:04comment on. And there's a long history of Pakistan bringing in radical Islamism into cricket. Uh, and
23:10there's a long history and I'm not restricting myself just, uh, right now. I mean, look at the time
23:15when you have people like, uh, Mohammed Mushtaq who'll say it's victory of Muslims over Hindus.
23:19Is that, is that, uh, sportsman spirit? Why do we ignore that? Or Imran Khan saying it's Jihad for
23:25Kashmir. Why would you want to ignore that? It's Shadhe Shatyam Samacharet. You treat them the way they
23:30treat you and worse. But let me, let me bring in Shishin Hatangadi. Mohsen Nakwee repeatedly spews
23:37venom against India, including today, where he falsely claims that history records Pakistani win in battle,
23:43which is not true. Frankly, yeah, you must. Frankly, had this match not been live,
23:50he ran away with the trophy. Probably in Pakistan, they would have claimed Pakistan won.
23:55Yeah, like I said, uh, you know, highly childish. I mean, what's a minister, a minister, a central
24:01minister spending so much time at the ACC for a week, 10 days. Obviously, he doesn't have too much to
24:07do there. Amit does all the work there. These guys are just lackeys. Yeah, so the point is, he's come
24:14here. And I mean, I think the Indian team and the BCCI has made it very clear, we will not accept the
24:21trophy from him. And that's as simple as that. Why complicate matters? We talk about, you know,
24:27the venom off the ground, things being said, political statements. That's another matter. The main
24:33point is, if the players are under duress to have played this tournament, and they have emphasized
24:39the fact that they don't want to accept the trophy from this gentleman, then be dignified and say,
24:45okay, I'm the ACC chairman, I'll give it to somebody else to hand it over. Why walk away? I mean,
24:50actually, you're trying to behave younger and, you know, more childish than some of their own
24:55players, the Pakistani players. Okay. You know, once again, Chandrasekhar Luthra,
25:01ACC chief should be impartial. Nakvi clearly isn't. Look at his social media post that Nikhil
25:06also points to that video of Cristiano Ronaldo, where they're attempting to mock their fake news
25:13of downing Indian fighters or Haris Rauf's provocative gesture. Is this not reason enough
25:19for Indian players to say, nahi langes say trophy. He's not impartial. Look, look, Gaurav, I'm not here
25:25to defend any Pakistani or anybody. But let me tell you, let me remind Nikhil also and everybody
25:31else. That, I have seen so many pictures of, you know, bat being used like a gun. It was,
25:37I have seen that with Vivian Richards, with Botham, with so many players. And the history of Tehelgaam,
25:43where Pakistani terrorists singled out Hindus and massacred them. There's a history, there is a context.
25:49Can you listen to me also? I am listening to you, but I'm trying to bring in context.
25:52No, no, let me explain also. I'm here not to defend any Mohsen Nakvi or anybody. I'm here to give the
25:59true picture. So, I have seen so many pictures like that, live and otherwise. And imagine a scenario
26:06also, Nikhil and Gaurav, that in 2036, somewhere in November or December, if India is going to host,
26:13you know, Olympics. And imagine a scenario, Nadeem or anybody else from Pakistan, they win some medal,
26:19he's already Olympic champion. And suddenly, Mr. Narendra Modi, Amid Shah or you or me, anybody is
26:24going there to give him medal and refuses to take that, accept that? Is that the, you know,
26:30right kind of approach? No. You are no one to decide whether you are going to accept trophy from
26:36Nikhil or me or anybody. It is the protocol, it is the decision by the ACC or ICC or anybody.
26:43In the cricketing fraternity, who is going to give the trophy? So, I mean, imagine these kinds of
26:48scenarios. I mean, you can't blame these, you know, and also. Okay, Shishir Hatangadi wants to disagree
26:54with you. The last 30 seconds I have on this part of the show. Quickly. Okay, Shishir, why do you disagree?
26:59I just one thing, Gaurav. If it was India and the scenario, what was explained just now, no Indian
27:08minister or official would award or be on the podium to make that presentation to a Pakistani,
27:15given the situation, the sensitive situation between two countries. Okay, they wouldn't want
27:20the screen time. I mean, if you want it. Not with the Pakistani anyways. Seriously. You can name that
27:27stadium on your own name, but you will not give that. At the final. They were not there at the final,
27:32weren't they? I don't know. But Nikhil, the last 30 seconds I have on this part of the show,
27:40should organizers be very mindful, you know, given the acrimony between India and Pakistan, given that
27:46acrimony, given that radical Islamist mindset that Pakistanis display, unless they qualify,
27:53there should be no India-Pakistan engagement in future encounters, in future tournaments.
28:00Nikhil.
28:04Sorry, that was a question to me. Gaurav, let me also give you an idea as to, you know,
28:10why this may have happened now. Just try and understand. I think,
28:13look at Mohsin Nakfi, and that's why I say that he is truly a politician. I was just talking about
28:19the tweet. Let me give you another example. I was here at the practice session of the Pakistan team.
28:24On the eve of that game, where those gestures were made by the Pakistani players, Mr. Nakfi actually
28:29paid a visit to the practice session of the Pakistan team. Are you telling me that there was no direction
28:36that came from the top for the Pakistani players to have done what they did? Because he comes on the
28:40eve of the game, after which they behave in that certain manner. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Nakfi
28:47has failed to do his job of actually running Pakistan cricket and running it successfully. I'll still
28:52say, the Pakistani players, I will still give them credit. They gave India a fight in the final.
28:57But do you know how Mr. Nakfi has been performing as a PCB head? When that entire fiasco happened
29:03versus the UAE team, whether to play or not, he was incapable of making that decision. He had to
29:09call the previous president of Pakistan cricket board. Absolutely. And all of this very cleverly,
29:19all of this very cleverly is the deflection tactics that Mohsin Nakfi employs by using these
29:24kind of tweets. I've sadly run out of time on this part of the show. But gentlemen, it'll be great to
29:29have you back tomorrow. And in future debates, because
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