Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev called for keeping politics separate from cricket following India’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy and medals from Pakistan‘s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi after their five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 28, 2025.The presentation ceremony was delayed and shortened after the Indian team declined to receive the awards from Naqvi, who heads both the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council. The Indian team instead celebrated their victory on the field without the official awards.The match itself saw Pakistan make a strong start with an 84-run opening partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan. However, they suffered a dramatic collapse, losing nine wickets for just 33 runs to finish at 146 in 19.1 overs. India successfully chased down the target despite losing three early wickets.
“I just want to say — your responsibility, and responsibility for the entire media also we should look into the sports side rather than looking into the politics side. Yes, media has the responsibility to bring everything on the table, but as a sportsman, I would like to see that we should stick to sports. It will be much better,” Kapil Dev said in an interview with India Today.The controversy extended beyond the trophy presentation. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf received a fine of 30 percent of his match fee for making a provocative ‘plane crash’ gesture during the Super Four match. Additionally, Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his ‘gunshot’ celebration after scoring fifty runs, which he defended as a cultural expression.Kapil Dev, who led India to their first World Cup victory in 1983, also commented on the current state of Pakistani cricket talent compared to previous generations.“Yeah, I think they don’t have the similar talent they used to have in the ’80s, ’90s or before that. Pakistan has given us, to the world, one of the best cricketers. You can talk about Imran Khan, you can talk about Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis. They have given us that talent. But unfortunately, we can’t see similar talent today — not even one percent of what they used to have,” Kapil Dev added.The Asia Cup final victory marked a significant achievement for India, despite the controversy surrounding the presentation ceremony. The team’s performance demonstrated their ability to handle pressure situations, successfully chasing down the target with two balls remaining in their innings.The incident has highlighted the ongoing challenges in keeping sports separate from political tensions between the two nations. Despite these challenges, the focus remains on the cricket played on the field and the sporting achievements of both teams.The match will be remembered not only for India’s victory but also for the broader context of cricket diplomacy and its role in India-Pakistan relations. The events surrounding the trophy presentation have added another chapter to the complex history of cricket encounters between these two cricket-playing nations.
