India gamers and employees pose for a group group picture after successful the Asia Cup towards Pakistan at Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 29, 2025. — Reuters
DUBAI: A recent controversy erupted on Sunday evening after the Indian cricket group refused to simply accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, following their victory over Pakistan within the match ultimate on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium.
In line with insiders, the unprecedented transfer was made on the directives of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), in what many observers described as one more show of vanity and politicisation of cricket by the Indian facet.
Regardless of India’s resistance, Naqvi remained steadfast, declining to bow to their calls for and insisting on presenting the trophy himself.
The high-profile post-match ceremony concluded with no trophy handover, with the organisers later taking the silverware away because the Indian gamers remained on the bottom, ready in useless.
The incident drew sharp criticism from followers and cricketing circles alike, who condemned India’s “unsporting behaviour” and its inflexible method that overshadowed the spirit of the sport.
Social media customers linked the controversy to India’s repeated makes an attempt through the match to safe preferential situations, noting that Sunday’s episode was the most recent reflection of their rigid stance.
Famend journalist Nauman Niaz, was of the view that trophies don’t make anybody a champion, however grace & poise do.
“India Lose Much More Than Winning The Asia Cup? They need to be suspended, their full membership rescinded based on their delusional narrative. They go without a trophy is a smack on their faces,” he wrote on X.
In the meantime, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif mentioned India’s conduct was unbecoming {of professional} sportsmen and, in every other sport, would have warranted speedy suspension.
“The Indian cricket team is a good candidate for suspension after refusing to collect the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and awards from the ACC Chairman. In any other sport, this would have been an open-and-shut case,” he wrote.
“With ICC Chairman, CEO, CFO, Commercial Chief, and Head of Events and Communications being Indians, suspension seems unlikely,” he remarked.
Latif additional described the episode as an “ugly day for cricket,” accusing India of as soon as once more breaching the spirit and essence of the gentleman’s sport “in broad daylight.”
Individually, Human Rights activist Marvi Sarmad lashed out on the Indian cricket group, terming the act a “new low.”
She ridiculed the transfer, saying India had solely made “a miserable joke” of themselves relatively than humiliating Pakistan, and slammed them for “decimating the spirit of the game” as their “new normal.”
Senior politician Shireen Mazari wrote on X: “India shows how small-minded they are that even when they win they cannot get over their petty unsportsmanlike behaviour. Pathetic.”
Journalist Fahd Husain, in a separate put up, wrote: “Indian team played good cricket today. But they proved they are petty and small-minded and an embarrassment to the game of cricket. Shame on them. Shame on their board. Shame on their govt. Pathetic they didn’t have the moral courage to receive trophy from Naqvi.”
