'Pakistan Don't Offer Much Competition Anymore': BCCI After India's Asian Games Triumph

BCCI President Mithun Manhas on Saturday lauded the Indian men's cricket team for retaining their Asian Games gold with a win over arch-rivals Pakistan, and said the Shreyas Iyer-led outfit handled a high-pressure final well. India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Nisshin, Japan, emulating their women's counterparts, who had also defended their gold medal last week. “By far the best team of the tournament. We are the defending champions, and the performance they have shown this time is commendable,” Manhas told reporters here.

He was delighted to see the way the team handled pressure.

“They defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, who I feel don't offer much competition anymore, and the way our team handled pressure situations... no other team in the world can do that,” he said.

He praised Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma for coming up with important knocks in the medal clash.

“This is a team sport. Tilak Varma batted brilliantly, and Abhishek Sharma set the tone for the game. The job of openers is to build the innings, and the middle order finishes it. So, the openers basically set the tone.

“Team India's batting has been tremendous, and as for the bowling, I would say everyone contributed together to defend a good total,” he said.

The former Delhi cricketer also thanked ICC chairman Jay Shah for doing commendable work in strengthening Indian cricket during his tenure as BCCI secretary.

“I would like to thank Jay Shah once again. He was the then BCCI secretary and his contribution has been significant in building this team.

“Not just the men's team, our women's team has also won the World Cup. His contribution has been immense. So, a special thanks to him too,” he added.

Manhas dedicated the Asian Games victory to cricket fans and the Armed Forces.

“This victory, I believe, should be dedicated to the crores of fans who pray for the Indian team, and especially to those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country,” he said.

On cricket becoming an attraction at the Asian Games, Manhas said the sport is gaining global traction.

“Different teams from around the world are participating, every country is getting involved in cricket, and it's a very good thing that cricket is becoming global,” he said.

Manhas, who has close ties with cricket in the Valley, hoped to see more players from the region represent the country in future.

“Aquib Nabi, who comes from Baramulla, has reached here through a lot of hard work. When he played local cricket, the BCCI was running J&K cricket at the time. The BCCI has now given its full support to this association.

“We have promised to continue providing that support in the future as well. There is a lot of talent here, and it just needs to be nurtured and backed,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin