Dubai, Sept 29 –India clinched its ninth Asia Cup title with a nail-biting five-wicket win over Pakistan, but the post-match celebration quickly turned into a diplomatic controversy after Indian players refused to accept the winner’s trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, and Pakistan’s federal interior minister.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told India’s ANI news agency that the decision was intentional:
“We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main political leaders of Pakistan. That does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him along with the medals. It is unfortunate, and we hope the trophy and medals will be returned to India soon.”
A Night of Drama
The Asia Cup final ended around 10:30 pm local time, but the award ceremony was delayed until nearly midnight. Television footage showed Naqvi speaking with match officials before the presentation, while the champions’ trophy was abruptly removed from the stage without explanation.
During the ceremony, Indian players Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma accepted their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, deliberately ignoring Naqvi, who neither clapped for them nor presented any medals.
Later, Pakistani captain Salman Agha collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi—an awkward contrast to the Indian team’s silent protest.
India’s unbeaten run through the tournament and a Rs 21 crore prize fund awarded by the BCCI were overshadowed by the political fallout. Cricket analysts described this edition as one of the most “acrimonious Asia Cups” in history, where off-field hostilities stole the spotlight from sporting achievement.