DUBAI – India won the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, but the ceremony after the game turned into a mess and a lot of arguments. The Indian team stuck to their guns and skipped the presentation ceremony. They also refused to accept the winners’ trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who was there as the interim president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
A Tense Lead-Up to the Ceremony
On September 14, a group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan ended in a no-handshake incident, which set off the boycott. After the game, Naqvi reportedly yelled at the Indian squad and asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in. Media said that India’s defending champions had determined that if they won the final, they would not share the stage with Naqvi.
After India won an exciting last-over game against Pakistan by chasing down 147 runs, the post-game events were delayed by almost an hour. The Pakistan team didn’t want to leave their dressing room at first because they were clearly upset about losing. Naqvi was clearly upset by the delay. He was on the phone and spoke animatedly next to the stage.
The Pakistan team, led by captain Salman Agha, finally came out to a chorus of boos from the full stadium, which was mostly made up of Indian fans. Naqvi wasn’t spared either. When he got on stage, Indian fans yelled “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and made fun of him the whole time.
The Sudden End and the Trophy That Never Happened
When the ceremony started, people got their own awards. Tilak Varma of India won the Player of the Match award for his 69 runs without getting out. Kuldeep Yadav and Shivam Dube were also acknowledged for their important contributions. Abhishek Sharma, who opened for India, was named Player of the Tournament. The Pakistan team got their second-place medals, and Salman Agha is said to have thrown away his second-place check in front of Naqvi, which added to the tension.
But just as fans and watchers were waiting for the winning Indian team to come on stage, the ceremony stopped. Simon Doull, a broadcaster, said, “The Asian Cricket Council has told me that the Indian cricket team will not be getting their awards tonight.” So that ends the presentation after the game.
A media report says that the Indian team management told the ACC before the game that they would not accept the trophy if Naqvi gave it to them, and they would file an official protest if he tried to do so. An organizer secretly took the trophy off the stage and transferred it straight to the Indian dressing room, thereby terminating the hectic ceremony without a public handover.