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Asia Cup 2025: The story of political tension that erupted from the trophy controversy - Naqvi's sharp response to Modi's tweet
Dubai, September 29, 2025 (Special Correspondent): India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 to lift the trophy, but this victory campaign was marred by an unexpected controversy. After this heartbreaking match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the incident that took place during the trophy presentation ceremony took a political turn off the cricket field. Pakistan's Information Minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi broke protocol and prevented the Indian players from accepting the trophy and championship medals, which further heated up the controversy. After this incident, Naqvi has responded in strong words to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory tweet, which has once again brought the tension in India-Pakistan relations to the fore.
The final match of the Asia Cup 2025, as usual, turned out to be a grand drama on the cricket stage between India and Pakistan. Pakistan opened the batting first and put up a respectable mountain of 265 runs in 49 overs. In their innings, brilliant half-centuries from Babar Azam (82) and Mohammad Rizwan (65) provided strong support, while Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi increased the runs in the last overs. On the other hand, the Indian bowlers maintained good control. Jasprit Bumrah took 3 wickets to pace the Pakistani innings, while Mohammad Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav also made significant contributions.
However, the Indian innings got off to a shocking start. Rohit Sharma (18) and Shubman Gill (25) returned early, but a brilliant partnership from Shreyas Iyer (76) and Tilak Verma (84) led India to victory. Rishabh Pant gave the innings momentum with a crucial knock of 42 runs, while Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya took India to the winning runs in the last overs. Shubman Gill scored a half-century off 58 balls and was named the man of the match. Thus, India achieved the target of 266 runs in 46.3 overs, and the Asia Cup trophy once again found a place in the Indian cupboard. This was India's seventh victory in the Asia Cup tournament, which caused a wave of joy among the Indian fans.
But the joy of this victory did not last long. The incident that took place during the trophy presentation ceremony after the match became the center of controversy. As the president of the ACC, Mohsin Naqvi was responsible for presenting the trophy. However, he violated protocol and prevented the Indian players from accepting the trophy and the championship medals. This delayed the ceremony and the Pakistani team stayed in the dressing room for a long time. The spectators in the stadium expressed their displeasure and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', which revealed Naqvi's uneasy behavior. After the controversy that lasted for about an hour, the trophy was removed from the stage and only Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma were felicitated individually.
The reason for the incident was that the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, considering the political sensitivity of him being a Pakistani representative. ACC officials intervened and proposed to present the trophy to the Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Cricket Board, Khalid Al Zahruni, but Naqvi rejected it. This further intensified the controversy and the cricket field was tinged with political hatred.
Following the controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian team on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "Operation Sindoor on the field. Result as usual - India wins! Congratulations to our cricket team." The tweet, in Modi's usual style, was a reference to the wartime 'Operation Sindoor', which created anti-Pakistan sentiment. The tweet caused a stir on social media and was shared by Indian fans in support.
However, Mohsin Naqvi immediately responded to this tweet with a sharp retort. He said, "If war is your criterion of pride, then history has already recorded your humiliating defeat against Pakistan. No cricket match can change this fact. Bringing war to the game is a sign of frustration and contempt for the game." Naqvi's statement gave a political twist to the controversy and it also gained a lot of attention in the Pakistani media. Naqvi further said, "Cricket is a field of peace, but some people spread hatred in it too."
The dispute was not limited to the trophy, but it gave new fuel to the existing tension in India-Pakistan relations. Cricket experts are demanding that political interference be avoided in international tournaments like the Asia Cup. The official statement of the BCCI is that, "We respect the protocol of the game, but will not tolerate political interference." On the other hand, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has remained silent on the matter, Naqvi's stance is being criticized.
The incident has sparked a debate in the cricket world. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said, "The trophy is an expression of victory, it is not right to refuse to take it from anyone. But when this happens due to political pressure, the quality of cricket deteriorates." Former Pakistani player Shoaib Akhtar also supported Naqvi's stance, saying, "It is part of the protocol, but the delay could have been avoided." This Asia Cup 2025 controversy is not limited to just one match, but can affect future India-Pakistan cricket matches. The upcoming ICC
Dubai, September 29, 2025 (Special Correspondent): India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 to lift the trophy, but this victory campaign was marred by an unexpected controversy. After this heartbreaking match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the incident that took place during the trophy presentation ceremony took a political turn off the cricket field. Pakistan's Information Minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi broke protocol and prevented the Indian players from accepting the trophy and championship medals, which further heated up the controversy. After this incident, Naqvi has responded in strong words to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory tweet, which has once again brought the tension in India-Pakistan relations to the fore.
The final match of the Asia Cup 2025, as usual, turned out to be a grand drama on the cricket stage between India and Pakistan. Pakistan opened the batting first and put up a respectable mountain of 265 runs in 49 overs. In their innings, brilliant half-centuries from Babar Azam (82) and Mohammad Rizwan (65) provided strong support, while Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi increased the runs in the last overs. On the other hand, the Indian bowlers maintained good control. Jasprit Bumrah took 3 wickets to pace the Pakistani innings, while Mohammad Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav also made significant contributions.
However, the Indian innings got off to a shocking start. Rohit Sharma (18) and Shubman Gill (25) returned early, but a brilliant partnership from Shreyas Iyer (76) and Tilak Verma (84) led India to victory. Rishabh Pant gave the innings momentum with a crucial knock of 42 runs, while Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya took India to the winning runs in the last overs. Shubman Gill scored a half-century off 58 balls and was named the man of the match. Thus, India achieved the target of 266 runs in 46.3 overs, and the Asia Cup trophy once again found a place in the Indian cupboard. This was India's seventh victory in the Asia Cup tournament, which caused a wave of joy among the Indian fans.
But the joy of this victory did not last long. The incident that took place during the trophy presentation ceremony after the match became the center of controversy. As the president of the ACC, Mohsin Naqvi was responsible for presenting the trophy. However, he violated protocol and prevented the Indian players from accepting the trophy and the championship medals. This delayed the ceremony and the Pakistani team stayed in the dressing room for a long time. The spectators in the stadium expressed their displeasure and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', which revealed Naqvi's uneasy behavior. After the controversy that lasted for about an hour, the trophy was removed from the stage and only Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma were felicitated individually.
The reason for the incident was that the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, considering the political sensitivity of him being a Pakistani representative. ACC officials intervened and proposed to present the trophy to the Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Cricket Board, Khalid Al Zahruni, but Naqvi rejected it. This further intensified the controversy and the cricket field was tinged with political hatred.
Following the controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian team on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "Operation Sindoor on the field. Result as usual - India wins! Congratulations to our cricket team." The tweet, in Modi's usual style, was a reference to the wartime 'Operation Sindoor', which created anti-Pakistan sentiment. The tweet caused a stir on social media and was shared by Indian fans in support.
However, Mohsin Naqvi immediately responded to this tweet with a sharp retort. He said, "If war is your criterion of pride, then history has already recorded your humiliating defeat against Pakistan. No cricket match can change this fact. Bringing war to the game is a sign of frustration and contempt for the game." Naqvi's statement gave a political twist to the controversy and it also gained a lot of attention in the Pakistani media. Naqvi further said, "Cricket is a field of peace, but some people spread hatred in it too."
The dispute was not limited to the trophy, but it gave new fuel to the existing tension in India-Pakistan relations. Cricket experts are demanding that political interference be avoided in international tournaments like the Asia Cup. The official statement of the BCCI is that, "We respect the protocol of the game, but will not tolerate political interference." On the other hand, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has remained silent on the matter, Naqvi's stance is being criticized.
The incident has sparked a debate in the cricket world. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said, "The trophy is an expression of victory, it is not right to refuse to take it from anyone. But when this happens due to political pressure, the quality of cricket deteriorates." Former Pakistani player Shoaib Akhtar also supported Naqvi's stance, saying, "It is part of the protocol, but the delay could have been avoided." This Asia Cup 2025 controversy is not limited to just one match, but can affect future India-Pakistan cricket matches. The upcoming ICC
The final match of the Asia Cup 2025, as usual, turned out to be a grand drama on the cricket stage between India and Pakistan. Pakistan opened the batting first and put up a respectable mountain of 265 runs in 49 overs. In their innings, brilliant half-centuries from Babar Azam (82) and Mohammad Rizwan (65) provided strong support, while Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi increased the runs in the last overs. On the other hand, the Indian bowlers maintained good control. Jasprit Bumrah took 3 wickets to pace the Pakistani innings, while Mohammad Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav also made significant contributions.
However, the Indian innings got off to a shocking start. Rohit Sharma (18) and Shubman Gill (25) returned early, but a brilliant partnership from Shreyas Iyer (76) and Tilak Verma (84) led India to victory. Rishabh Pant gave the innings momentum with a crucial knock of 42 runs, while Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya took India to the winning runs in the last overs. Shubman Gill scored a half-century off 58 balls and was named the man of the match. Thus, India achieved the target of 266 runs in 46.3 overs, and the Asia Cup trophy once again found a place in the Indian cupboard. This was India's seventh victory in the Asia Cup tournament, which caused a wave of joy among the Indian fans.
But the joy of this victory did not last long. The incident that took place during the trophy presentation ceremony after the match became the center of controversy. As the president of the ACC, Mohsin Naqvi was responsible for presenting the trophy. However, he violated protocol and prevented the Indian players from accepting the trophy and the championship medals. This delayed the ceremony and the Pakistani team stayed in the dressing room for a long time. The spectators in the stadium expressed their displeasure and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', which revealed Naqvi's uneasy behavior. After the controversy that lasted for about an hour, the trophy was removed from the stage and only Tilak Verma and Abhishek Sharma were felicitated individually.
The reason for the incident was that the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, considering the political sensitivity of him being a Pakistani representative. ACC officials intervened and proposed to present the trophy to the Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Cricket Board, Khalid Al Zahruni, but Naqvi rejected it. This further intensified the controversy and the cricket field was tinged with political hatred.
Following the controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian team on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "Operation Sindoor on the field. Result as usual - India wins! Congratulations to our cricket team." The tweet, in Modi's usual style, was a reference to the wartime 'Operation Sindoor', which created anti-Pakistan sentiment. The tweet caused a stir on social media and was shared by Indian fans in support.
However, Mohsin Naqvi immediately responded to this tweet with a sharp retort. He said, "If war is your criterion of pride, then history has already recorded your humiliating defeat against Pakistan. No cricket match can change this fact. Bringing war to the game is a sign of frustration and contempt for the game." Naqvi's statement gave a political twist to the controversy and it also gained a lot of attention in the Pakistani media. Naqvi further said, "Cricket is a field of peace, but some people spread hatred in it too."
The dispute was not limited to the trophy, but it gave new fuel to the existing tension in India-Pakistan relations. Cricket experts are demanding that political interference be avoided in international tournaments like the Asia Cup. The official statement of the BCCI is that, "We respect the protocol of the game, but will not tolerate political interference." On the other hand, although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has remained silent on the matter, Naqvi's stance is being criticized.
The incident has sparked a debate in the cricket world. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar said, "The trophy is an expression of victory, it is not right to refuse to take it from anyone. But when this happens due to political pressure, the quality of cricket deteriorates." Former Pakistani player Shoaib Akhtar also supported Naqvi's stance, saying, "It is part of the protocol, but the delay could have been avoided." This Asia Cup 2025 controversy is not limited to just one match, but can affect future India-Pakistan cricket matches. The upcoming ICC
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