The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan will be remembered for more than just cricket. While India lifted their ninth Asia Cup title with a thrilling five-wicket win on Sunday night, celebrations on the field carried an added edge, particularly aimed at Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed. Abrar, known for his trademark celebration of gesturing with his head towards the dugout after taking wickets, had repeated the act when he dismissed Sanju Samson for 24 in the 13th over. At that stage, India’s chase was in a tight spot, and the gesture drew plenty of attention. However, the move came back to haunt the Pakistan bowler. After India sealed victory, a clip was shared on social media showing Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma and Harshit Rana mimicking Abrar’s celebration. The trio directed their gestures towards Samson, drawing laughter from fans on social media. Arshdeep himself shared the moment on Instagram with the caption “No context,” which quickly went viral. Fans lauded the players for returning the favour in style, with many calling it a “bold” response after weeks of intense clashes and exchanges between the two teams.Watch the hilarious video uploaded on Arshdeep Singh’s Instagram On the field, India’s win was hard-earned. Chasing 147, the innings wobbled at 20/3 inside the powerplay after Abhishek Sharma (5), Shubman Gill (12) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (1) fell cheaply. Tilak Varma held his nerve with an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls, including a six off Haris Rauf in the final over, while Shivam Dube’s 33 off 22 balls provided vital support. Their 60-run stand turned the contest in India’s favour. Rinku Singh hit the winning runs with a boundary, sealing the game with two balls to spare.
Poll
Was Abrar Ahmed’s celebration after taking Sanju Samson’s wicket appropriate?
Earlier, Pakistan squandered a strong start of 113/1 to fold for 146 in 19.1 overs. Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) set the platform, but Kuldeep Yadav’s 4/30 triggered a collapse as the last nine wickets fell for just 33 runs. The final also ended in controversy, with India refusing to accept the trophy from ACC president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. While the presentation was abandoned, the Indian players still found time to celebrate, but with a twist. They uploaded one picture after the other without the trophy, but kept the mood in the Team India camp one of celebration and laughter. The perfect use of Abrar’s antics against himself made sure that the gesture did not go unanswered.
