Dubai — Team India stirred controversy after a thrilling five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, refusing to accept the tournament trophy at the presentation ceremony. The refusal, which caused a lengthy delay and saw the champions celebrate with an imaginary trophy, was a direct protest against the political ties of the presenter.
The Reason for the Refusal and Delay
The Indian cricket team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy because the presentation was scheduled to be made by Mohsin Naqvi, the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Naqvi also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and, crucially, the Interior Minister of Pakistan.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the decision, stating: “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main [political] leaders of Pakistan.”
The match concluded around 10:30 PM local time, but the presentation was delayed until close to midnight. During the wait, ACC officials were seen in animated discussions with Naqvi before the actual trophy was silently removed from the dais and taken off the ground without explanation.
PM Modi’s Tweet: “Operation Sindoor” and National Pride
#OperationSindoor on the games field.
Outcome is the same – India wins!
Congrats to our cricketers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2025
The Stripped-Down Ceremony
Once the ceremony finally commenced, it lacked the traditional fanfare:
- Individual Awards: Players like Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage. Notably, Indian players who approached the stage to receive their awards did not acknowledge Mohsin Naqvi. Naqvi, in turn, did not applaud the Indian players.
- Runners-Up Awarded: Pakistan captain Salman Agha accepted the runners-up cheque and medal on behalf of his team.
- Ceremony Concluded: The host broadcaster’s presenter, Simon Doull, announced: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”
India Celebrates with an Imaginary Trophy
After the dignitaries, including Naqvi, left the stage, the entire Indian team and their support staff took their place on the podium. With no physical trophy available, captain Suryakumar Yadav and the rest of the squad celebrated their hard-fought victory by holding aloft an imaginary trophy, a powerful visual protest.
At the subsequent press conference, Suryakumar stated:
“I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket… that a champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it.”
He stressed that the decision was taken by the team, and their true “trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff.”
Escalating Tensions and Future Protest
The refusal to accept the trophy is the culmination of ongoing, heightened tensions between the two rivals throughout the tournament. India had already refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team after all three matches—a stance that drew criticism from Pakistan captain Agha and coach Mike Hesson.
The BCCI confirmed that the matter will be taken up at the international level. Saikia announced that India intends to “launch a very serious and very strong protest” against the actions of the ACC chairperson at the ICC conference in November in Dubai.
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