Mohammed Siraj, who stole the show at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday to down Sri Lanka in the final and win the Asia Cup for India for the eighth time, had another heart-warming moment when he dedicated the cash prize he won the for being the 'Player of the Final' to the ground staff for their hard work.
The ground staff at Sri Lanka had a hard time throughout the tournament with rain interrupting several matches. India's group-stage opener against Pakistan was washed out, so was their match against Nepal. The match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan to decide India's opponent in the final, was also interrupted by rain.
Handing over the prize money, Siraj said, "This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. This tournament wouldn't have been possible without them."
This followed an exceptional performance from the bowler who picked six wickets to curtail the Sri Lankan innings at just 50 in 15.2 overs. He also became the first Indian to take four wickets in the same over.
Speaking after the match, Siraj said, "No biryani here. Have been bowling well since a long time. Was missing the edges earlier. But found them today. The wicket was seaming earlier, but there was swing today. Thought that I will bowl fuller because of the swing. When there's good bonding between fast bowlers, it's helpful for the team… My best spell."
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had earlier announced a well-deserved prize money of USD 50,000 for the dedicated curators and ground staff at Colombo and Kandy.
They also expressed their gratitude to the Colombo and Kandy groundstaff for their efforts in completing a game despite numerous interruptions caused by rain.
ACC president Jay Shah on Sunday took to 'X' to heap praise on ground staff for their hard work throughout the tournament.
