'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' echoes in Dubai as India snub PCB chief; Naqvi left stranded on stage, walks away with Asia Cup 2025 trophy

The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday night had everything, drama, dominance, and a finish no one could have scripted. While India powered to their ninth continental crown with a commanding five-wicket victory, the post-match presentation turned into an extraordinary fiasco.

Asia Cup 2025 trophy drama overshadows cricket

According to a TOI report, the evening spiralled into confusion after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi allegedly walked away with the winners’ trophy. The Indian players flatly refused to accept the silverware from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, making it clear they would not step onto the podium if he was the one presenting the cup.

The tense standoff left Naqvi stranded on the stage, as Indian supporters inside the Dubai stadium filled the air with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. The organisers, caught in the middle, were eventually forced to whisk the trophy away into the dressing room to avoid further embarrassment.

Asia Cup 2025: No trust, no handshakes

The clash was the culmination of a frosty tournament between the arch-rivals. From the absence of the customary pre-toss photographs to cold exchanges during matches, relations remained on edge throughout. Sources told TOI that the Indian camp had already informed the ACC of their objection to Naqvi’s presence on the podium. Their stance was unflinching: they did not want him in any victory photographs.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan squad added another twist by staying inside their dressing room for nearly an hour after the match. When captain Salman Agha finally led his men back to the field, they were greeted not with applause, but a deafening chorus of “Indiaaaa, Indiaaaa” echoing around the stadium.

Asia Cup 2025: India’s clinical win

On the field, however, the cricket itself was far more straightforward. Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliance with the ball (4-30) derailed Pakistan’s middle order, restricting them to 146 despite promising knocks from Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46). In reply, India chased the target with calm assurance. Tilak Varma played a mature hand, finishing unbeaten on 69 from 53 balls, and stitched together a vital 60-run partnership with Shivam Dube (33) to seal the result.

A night to remember, for the wrong reasons

India may have lifted the Asia Cup for a record-extending ninth time, but the night will be remembered as much for the off-field tension as for their on-field dominance. Instead of the traditional trophy moment under the floodlights, the final ended with confusion, walkouts, and an unprecedented stand-off that underlined just how deep the rift between the two sides has become.

Inputs from TOI