Sports Desk – India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final in Dubai, but the celebration took an unusual turn when the team refused to accept the trophy.
The controversy began because the trophy was to be presented by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s interior minister.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said India did not want to receive the trophy from Naqvi. “We will raise a strong protest at the ICC meeting in November,” he added.
The presentation ceremony, which should have started soon after the match ended at 10:30 pm, was delayed by more than an hour. Eventually, Indian players collected only their individual awards from other officials, while Pakistan captain Salman Agha received the runners-up cheque. The Asia Cup trophy was removed from the stage without explanation.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav said, “I have never seen this in cricket. A champion team being denied its trophy… But for me, the real trophies are my teammates and support staff.” The Indian players later celebrated on stage by holding up an imaginary trophy.
The decision to boycott Naqvi was expected. Throughout the tournament, Indian players had refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s team, leading to heated moments during matches. Both sides also exchanged verbal spats, with fines handed to players from both teams.
This unusual end to the Asia Cup has now turned into a political and cricketing flashpoint.
