India refuse Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan’s interior minister in final ceremony standoff

India successfully defended their Asia Cup title with a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, but the triumph was overshadowed by a dramatic awards ceremony after the team refused to accept the winner’s trophy from Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Naqvi, who also serves as president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was due to present the trophy at Dubai International Stadium. The presentation was delayed by more than an hour before being abruptly cut short. Broadcaster Simon Doull announced that the Indian team had declined to collect the award.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed the decision, telling ANI news agency: “We have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan.” He added that the board would lodge a protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

While Indian players Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav collected their individual awards, they did so without acknowledging Naqvi, who was the only official on stage not to applaud them.

The snub capped a politically charged tournament. India and Pakistan clashed three times in the eight-team event, with India winning on each occasion. Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours remain fraught after a brief military confrontation in May that nearly escalated into full-scale war. Indian players also refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during the competition.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated an earlier victory over Pakistan to India’s armed forces, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked “#OperationSindoor” in his congratulatory message to the team.

On the field, Pakistan squandered a strong start in the final. After openers Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46) put on 84 runs, the side collapsed to 146 all out, losing nine wickets for just 33 runs. India’s left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed 4-30.

India wobbled at 20-3 in reply but recovered through Varma’s unbeaten 69, supported by Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33), to seal victory. The result extended India’s unbeaten run through the tournament and handed Pakistan a third straight defeat to their rivals.

“It’s pretty amazing to finish unbeaten,” said India vice-captain Shubman Gill. Pakistan skipper Salman Agha admitted his side’s batting had faltered: “We could not rotate the strike properly and we lost too many wickets.”

The Asia Cup is the flagship tournament of the Asian Cricket Council, but Sunday’s trophy controversy may intensify already strained sporting ties between the two neighbours, whose bilateral cricketing relationship has been suspended for years.