The Asia Cup 2025 edition concluded on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, with Suryakumar Yadav‘s India winning the competition after beating Pakistan by five wickets in the final. Heading into the summit clash, the entire world knew that India would refuse to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, given what happened earlier in the tournament.
Right from the group stage match, India maintained a distance from Pakistan players in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Suryakumar’s side refused to shake hands with the opponents in both the group stage and the Super 4s encounter. This led to PCB chairman Naqvi complaining to the ICC about India and match referee Andy Pycroft’s behaviour.
Naqvi didn’t stop there as he posted some objectionable videos on X (formerly Twitter), mocking India by referencing Pakistan’s claims of bringing down Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor.
According to the Indian Express, the Indian camp didn’t want to accept and take the trophy from Naqvi due to the Pakistan Interior Minister reposting several images on social media, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s clip depicting a crashing plane.
Naqvi also posted a picture titled ‘Final Day’, featuring captain Salman Ali Agha and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, wearing flight suits with snapshots of airborne fighter jets in the background.
The Indian camp, led by Suryakumar, was ready to take the trophy from Vice Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al Zarooni, but Naqvi refused to budge. He stuck to his stand of giving away the trophy.
As the delay dragged on and the ceremony was delayed by 45 minutes, officials took the trophy away. Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, and Tilak Varma picked up their individual awards, but the ceremony concluded prematurely. Naqvi then walked off the stadium, seemingly taking the Asia Cup trophy to his hotel room.
Speaking of more details about the post-match presentation, the organisers erected the dias almost 20 minutes after Rinku Singh hit the winning runs for India. The Indian camp was seen scattered on one part of the ground, and the officials were seen trying to resolve the issue.
On-field umpires and match referee Richie Richardson also did their round of negotiations, but it did not bear fruit. The crowd also walked off the stadium, and only a few remained to see Abhishek and Tilak speak to Simon Doull.
Three matches between India and Pakistan
India and Pakistan played each other on three occasions in the 2025 Asia Cup, with the former winning all three games. After the group stage match, Suryakumar dedicated the win to the Indian Armed Forces, saying his team stands in solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims.
Earlier this year, a terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 tourists, and India then retaliated with Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
When the group stage was played, boycott calls were rampant in India, with fans expressing their displeasure with the BCCI for going ahead with the match. However, the Super 4s and the final saw a completely different mood as people throughout the country cheered for India.