The Asia Cup 2025 final ended amid an unusual off-field controversy after reports emerged that the Indian cricket team refused to accept the tournament trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Sources say the decision came on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Despite strong pressure from Indian officials, Mohsin Naqvi stood firm, insisting he would personally present the trophy and rejecting requests for alternative arrangements. The trophy has now reportedly been delivered to the ACC office. On the field, Tilak Varma played a match-winning innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls, as India edged Pakistan by five wickets to claim the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Set a target of 147, India survived an early collapse and sealed victory in 19.4 overs. Pakistan’s new-ball attack, led by Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi, struck early, removing key Indian batsmen inside the first four overs. Faheem dismissed tournament-leading run-scorer Abhishek Sharma for 5, while Shaheen accounted for Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav (1) with a sharp catch from Salman Ali Agha. Faheem struck again to send back Shubman Gill (12), leaving India struggling at 20 for 3. Varma then combined with Sanju Samson for a 57-run partnership to steady the innings. Samson’s quick 24 ended when Abrar Ahmed struck in the 13th over, but Varma joined Shivam Dube in a 60-run stand that largely sealed the chase. Dube contributed 33 off 22 balls before falling in the penultimate over. Varma reached his fifty off 40 balls, guiding India across the finish line despite losing wickets at the other end. Earlier, Pakistan had squandered a strong start after being put in to bat, leaving the match balanced until India’s late recovery. Sahibzada Farhan (57 off 38) and Fakhar Zaman (46 off 35) powered them to 84 without loss by the halfway mark. But once Varun Chakravarthy removed Farhan, Kuldeep Yadav took control, bagging 4 for 30 as Pakistan collapsed to 146 all out in 19.1 overs. India’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah taking two apiece, while Chakravarthy finished with 2 for 29. The final marked the first-ever Asia Cup title showdown between the arch-rivals. Pakistan had qualified by defeating Bangladesh in a virtual semi-final, while India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. For India, it was a record-extending ninth Asia Cup title, underscoring their dominance in regional cricket. Pakistan, despite glimpses of brilliance from Farhan, Fakhar, and Faheem, were left to rue their middle-order collapse at the decisive moment.
Indian team refuses to receive trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, sources say
