Trophy row overshadows India’s ninth Asia Cup title
India celebrated a record ninth Asia Cup triumph in Dubai, yet the evening turned controversial before the trophy presentation. India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final on September 28, 2025, but the players reportedly refused to collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi. According to reports, this stance delayed the ceremony by more than an hour and forced officials to manage the fallout.
Naqvi’s dual role as ACC president and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board added to the tension. Relations between the two boards had already soured during the tournament, with India declining to take part in pre-toss photographs or traditional handshakes with Pakistani players. The refusal to accept the trophy ended the disputes with an extraordinary standoff on the field.
Pakistani players reportedly stayed in their dressing room while officials attempted to resolve the matter. Eventually, the organisers held a shortened ceremony. Individual Indian players such as Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma accepted their awards from alternative dignitaries, while Pakistan’s captain, Salman Agha, collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi.
Moments later, officials announced that India would not take the main prize, and the formalities ended abruptly. The incident has fuelled debate about sport’s entanglement with politics and raised doubts about the future of India-Pakistan cricket ties.
How the final unfolded in Dubai
The match itself offered plenty of drama. Pakistan, asked to bat first after losing the toss, built a strong opening through Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. Farhan struck a lively 57 and Zaman added 46, taking Pakistan to 113 for one in the 13th over. However, the innings collapsed spectacularly once India’s spinners came on. Kuldeep Yadav took four for 30, breaking partnerships and triggering a slide that dismissed Pakistan for 146 in 19.1 overs.
India’s reply started badly as they lost three wickets for only 20 runs in four overs. The chase was in trouble until Tilak Varma steadied the innings with composure. His unbeaten 69 from 53 balls became the backbone of the chase, while Sanju Samson chipped in with 24 and Shivam Dube struck 33 in a counterattacking cameo.
Their partnerships brought India back into control, though Pakistan refused to yield easily. With the game still alive in the final over, Rinku Singh stepped up and struck the winning runs with two balls to spare. The result gave India their ninth Asia Cup crown, yet the controversy ensured that cricket shared headlines with politics.
