India Denied Asia Cup Trophy After Refusing to Accept It from Pakistan Minister
India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph ended in controversy on Sunday after the team was denied the chance to hoist the winner’s trophy. Captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the trophy was removed from the presentation ceremony when Indian players refused to accept it from Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Asian Cricket Council president. Despite beating Pakistan by five wickets in the Dubai final, India celebrated with an “imaginary trophy” on stage.
The final followed weeks of tension, with Indian players refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts amid strained political relations after a brief military conflict in May. The presentation was delayed for over an hour before being cut short, leaving organisers to walk away with the trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed India’s stand, while Suryakumar said the “real trophies” were his teammates and support staff.
Pakistan captain Salman Agha accused India of disrespecting cricket, saying their refusal to engage in post-match traditions “disappointed” his side. “Good teams don’t do what they did today,” Agha remarked, as Pakistan collected medals and posed with the trophy alone. However, Suryakumar maintained that the only thing that mattered was India being crowned “Asia Cup 2025 Champions.”
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