In a shocking twist of events, India's victory at the Asia Cup was marred by controversy as the team did not want to receive the trophy from Pakistan minister and ACC president Mohsin Naqvi. After India's nail-biting five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, the winning team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, celebrated without the highlight of their victory—the trophy.
The award ceremony, postponed significantly, ended up only rewarding individual performers. For all efforts, Naqvi failed to present the silverware to the winners, recording what can be termed a first in cricket history.
Indian fans, who had stayed in their seats throughout the holdup, let Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha have it when he got up to collect the trophy. Though the Indian team was said to be ready to accept the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, Naqvi did not permit the switch.
As the ceremony lingered, Indian players remained resolute at 15 yards from the stage, refusing to move. It is reported that the management of the Indian team had asked who would be presenting the trophy, leading the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to call a meeting—knowing that their chairman was not acceptable to the champions.
When Naqvi finally arrived on the dais, Indian supporters broke into "Bharat Maata Ki Jai" choruses. Officials immediately warned him that India would not accept the trophy if he tried to hand it over and that a formal complaint would be filed. Soon, organizers quietly removed the trophy into the dressing room.
During the tournament, the Indian team had been keeping their distance from Pakistani authorities, refusing handshakes during matches and missing traditional pre-toss photos with rivals. Such a step clearly conveyed the message to the ACC: the trophy won't be received from Naqvi.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani cricketers remained locked in their dressing room for more than an hour after the match, with their chairman left isolated and in an embarrassed position, trying to adhere to protocol. Only after almost 55 minutes did Agha and his team make their exit, which was received with catcalls of "Indiaaaa, Indiaaaaa" from the crowds.
Tensions were further heightened by Naqvi’s social media posts, which included cryptic videos of Cristiano Ronaldo’s plane crash gesture celebrations—a perceived reference to Pakistani claims about six Indian jets being downed during ‘Operation Sindoor.’
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