The controversy surrounding the Asia Cup 2025 final reached a boiling point on Sunday night after Pakistan captain Salman Agha publicly accused the Indian team of "disrespecting the sport of cricket" over their consistent refusal to shake hands and the unprecedented drama involving the winner's trophy presentation.
India clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final, but the events that followed overshadowed the cricket, with a bitter standoff at the presentation ceremony leaving the victorious Indian team without the silverware.
India Refuses Trophy from ACC Chief Naqvi
The final climaxed in chaos after the Indian team refused to accept their winners’ medals and the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
India’s protest stemmed from Naqvi’s dual role, citing that as he holds a government position within Pakistan's ministry, accepting the award from him was unacceptable. Sources indicated India had requested the trophy be presented by the Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman, but the request was denied by Naqvi. The resulting impasse saw the ceremony halted, with the trophy and medals eventually taken away, leaving the Indian players to celebrate on the dais empty-handed.
Agha Blasts India in Post-Match Presser
Speaking at the post-match press conference, a clearly frustrated Salman Agha slammed India's actions, linking the trophy drama to the "no-handshake policy" India maintained throughout the tournament.
"What India did with us—not shaking hands, not taking the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi—they are not only disrespecting us, they are also disrespecting the sport of cricket," Agha stated. "Looking at this, what if other teams also start doing this? Where will we draw the line, where will this stop?"
The Pakistan captain questioned the precedent being set by the Indian team: "Cricketers are supposed to be role models. What will kids learn watching this kind of behaviour on the field? Whatever happened in this tournament was very bad."
When asked who was responsible for initiating the hostilities, Agha did not mince words: "You tell me who started this. Was refusing the handshake fine? Refusing to take the trophy from the ACC president Naqvi—as is protocol—was that fine? You should ask this question to the team who started all this."
Handshake Snub and Political Undertones
The controversy began with the very first India-Pakistan match, where Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Agha at the toss. The 'no-handshake' policy was repeated in all three encounters and at the final toss, with Yadav pointedly ignoring former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis as well.
Earlier in the tournament, Yadav had dedicated India’s victory to the victims of a terror attack, and the tournament was further marred by players from both sides receiving fines from the ICC for provocative on-field gestures with political undertones.
The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, confirmed India's refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi and announced a massive ₹21 crore cash reward for the team. Saikia also stated the BCCI would launch a "very strong protest" against the ACC chairman's actions at the upcoming ICC conference in November, deepening the off-field tension in the India-Pakistan cricketing rivalry.