The Asia Cup 2025 final descended into chaos on Sunday night after India’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan, with the presentation ceremony marred by unprecedented drama. As India refused to accept the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi, the champions celebrated without any silverware. The bizarre standoff between the Indian team and Naqvi left the tournament without an official handover, a first in cricket history. But the controversy did not end there. Tempers flared when Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha collected his runners-up cheque from Naqvi only to fling it away in frustration moments later. The shocking act, captured on camera, was met with loud boos from Indian fans who had stayed back for the delayed ceremony.Click here to watch the video. The evening’s drama began when India refused to move towards the stage, insisting they would only accept the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board’s vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni. Naqvi, however, stood firm, forcing a long deadlock before the trophy was quietly taken away by organisers. Indian fans made their feelings clear, chanting “Bharat Maata Ki Jai” as Naqvi attempted to conduct proceedings. Meanwhile, Pakistan players stayed in the dressing room for nearly an hour before emerging to collect their cheques, only to witness their captain vent his anger in public.In the final itself, India held its nerve in a thrilling contest to win the Asia Cup for the ninth time. Chasing Pakistan’s 146 all out, India stumbled to 20-3 early in their innings but Tilak Varma’s 69 not out off 53 balls and Shivam Dube’s 33 helped rebuild the chase. Varma and Dube shared a 60-run partnership that swung the momentum in India’s favour. Rinku Singh then hit the winning four, the only ball he faced in the tournament, as India finished at 150-5 with two balls to spare. Pakistan had earlier collapsed from 113-1 to 146 all out, with Kuldeep Yadav taking 4-30 to dismantle the lower order. The final marked the first India-Pakistan Asia Cup final in history, a tournament full of tension both on and off the field.
