Asia Cup 2025: India Wins, Refuses Trophy From ACC Chief

Dubai, September 29: India lifted the Asia Cup 2025 in the only way this rivalry seems to allow anymore, through brilliance on the field and bitterness off it. They beat Pakistan in a tense final in Dubai, sealed their ninth continental title, and then walked off without a trophy in hand.

Yes, India champion of Asia. No, they never held the cup on stage.

What should have been a joyous coronation descended into farce because of one man: Mohsin Naqvi. The PCB chairman, also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), was set to hand over the trophy. The Indian team, who had already declared they would not shake hands with Pakistan during the tournament, flatly refused to accept any prize from him.

A Match Worth the Stage

It is almost tragic how the cricket itself risks being forgotten. This was no walkover. Pakistan, sent in to bat, started brightly but then imploded. From a promising 112 for 1, they lost their last nine wickets for just 33 runs. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy spun a web, finishing with five wickets between them, while the Pakistani middle order unraveled under pressure.

Still, 146 in a final is no gimme. India’s reply looked doomed when Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and even captain Suryakumar Yadav were back in the pavilion with barely 20 runs on the board. The Dubai crowd, as always partisan and roared Pakistan back into the contest.

Then stepped in Tilak Varma, 22 years old and batting like he’d been here all his life. He soaked up the pressure, stitched together partnerships with Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, and carried his bat through the chase. By the time Rinku Singh finished it with two balls to spare, Varma was unbeaten on 69, his biggest innings yet in India colours.

The cricket, in short, was riveting. The kind of match you want replayed for decades.

Where the Trophy Went Missing

But once the last ball was bowled, something odd happened. No presentation. No medals. No trophy held aloft. The crowd waited. The broadcasters filled airtime. Word trickled out: the Indians had made it clear they wouldn’t collect the silverware from Naqvi.

The organisers hesitated. Neutral dignitaries from the Emirates board were present, but Naqvi, insisting on his right as ACC president, refused to step aside. An hour passed. Eventually, presenter Simon Doull announced on live television that India would not be taking the stage.

The trophy was quietly whisked away by officials. India celebrated instead with an imaginary cup, lifting their hands behind the champions’ backdrop for the cameras. Suryakumar Yadav later admitted in the press room that he had “never in his career seen a team win a tournament and not get a trophy.” His solution was more poetic than bitter: “My trophy is in the dressing room. I have 14 more trophies there my teammates.”

Politics Playing Umpire

The BCCI’s discomfort with Naqvi isn’t new. India had already informed the ACC before the tournament that they would not participate in handshakes or ceremonial gestures involving Pakistani officials. The Asia Cup final just made that private stance public.

On paper, this is a sport. In reality, it is the latest reminder that India–Pakistan cricket cannot be separated from geopolitics. Naqvi is not just a cricket administrator; he is a sitting minister in Islamabad, and one who has had his share of fiery statements. For Indian players, standing beside him with medals around their necks would have sent a message they weren’t willing to send.

Was it petty? Many will say yes. Was it political theatre dressed as sport? Certainly. But to the Indian team, it was a matter of principle, respect, and dignity first, optics second.

Fallout and Fireworks Online

Back home, the victory was celebrated with unfiltered joy. Politicians, celebrities, and fans flooded social media. Yet the missing trophy became the real talking point. Indian players themselves joined in the mockery, posting photos with digital trophy emojis, a collective roast of the ACC and PCB.

Pakistan’s administrators, on the other hand, largely stayed silent. The embarrassment of seeing their own chairman publicly snubbed was bad enough. For the ACC, this is a nightmare scenario, a final overshadowed not by cricket but by a fight over protocol.

There is already word that the BCCI will raise the matter at the ICC, demanding a rethink of who gets to hand out trophies at multi-nation tournaments. Expect fireworks in the boardroom before the year ends.

Cricket Lost in the Noise

The saddest part is that this was a genuinely brilliant final. Pakistan’s bowlers fought with fire despite defending a modest score. India’s middle order absorbed pressure in ways that bode well for the T20 World Cup next year. Youngsters like Varma and Abhishek Sharma have shown that India’s future batting core looks fearless. And Kuldeep Yadav’s 17 wickets across the tournament made him arguably the best spinner in Asia right now.

Yet all of it risks being remembered not for the cricket but for the empty podium.

The Big Picture

India–Pakistan cricket was once seen as a bridge. Today, it is more like a mirror reflecting every jagged edge of the political relationship between the two countries. When even a trophy becomes contested territory, it tells you how fraught the rivalry has become.

For now, the records will show: India are nine-time Asia Cup champions. The cup itself may not have been lifted on stage, but the scoreboard, the crowd, and the millions who watched know the truth.

That truth cannot be whisked away by an administrator.

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Prakash Nair

Senior Sports Journalist – Prakash@hindustanherald.in – Web

Sports reporter covering cricket, football, and Olympic disciplines, with on-ground event experience.

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