The Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai concluded with high drama, both on and off the field, after the champion Indian team refused to accept the winning trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
The post-match presentation was significantly delayed, and the situation escalated when the Indian team did not come forward to receive the main trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed that India had declined to accept the trophy from Chairman Naqvi. The ACC chairman ultimately left the venue with the trophy.
Captains Announce Donation of Match Fees
In a parallel development related to the ongoing political tensions, both team captains announced donations of their match fees to victims connected to the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military response, Operation Sindoor.
- Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav had earlier announced he would donate his entire match fee from the Asia Cup tournament to India’s armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
- Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha announced at the post-match press conference that the Pakistan team would donate its match fees to the “civilians and children affected by India’s attack” during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan Captain Slams India’s Action
Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha strongly criticized India’s refusal to collect the trophy from the ACC chief, terming the action “disappointing” and “disrespectful to cricket.”
“They are not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they are disrespecting cricket. Good teams don’t do what they did,” Agha remarked.
He confirmed that the Pakistan team went ahead with the post-match protocol to maintain sportsmanship. “We went to pose with the trophy (photo shoot) on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals,” he stated, adding, “I don’t want to use harsh words but they’ve been very disrespectful.”
While the Indian team collectively boycotted the main trophy, individual award winners Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma received their accolades from other dignitaries on stage. However, the ACC chairman reportedly did not applaud the Indian players as they came up for their personal awards.
