After a storm of controversy, the Asia Cup finally ended on September 28 with India lifting the title on the field, but not the trophy. India won with five wickets and cashed in on a spectacular award amounting to ₹2.6 crores from the Asia Cricket Council and ₹21 crores from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
While the match was interesting with the early fall of Indian wickets, the real masala played out during the post-match ceremony. In an unprecedented situation, the Indian players refused to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as well as the Asia Cricket Council (ACC).
Instead of stepping onto the stage, the Indian team sat on the ground, frolicking around, scrolling on their phones. The trophy remained on stage for nearly an hour as Naqvi stood waiting, while Pakistani players chose to stay inside their dressing room, which only added to the situation.
Individual awards, however, were handed out with Abhishek Sharma being the Player of the series & highest run scorer of the tournament, Tilak Verma, whose explosive innings rattled Pakistani premium bowlers, won the ‘Player of the Match’ award, Kuldeep Yadav was the MVP (most valuable player) of the tournament, and Shivam Dubey was the gamechanger of the match.
Yet the most symbolic moment came when the Indian players posed with an ‘imaginary trophy,’ celebrating without the physical prize. The gesture underscored their belief that victory is earned on the field, not bestowed on stage.
During the post-match conference, Indian skipper Surya Kumar Yadav told the reporters, “I think this is one thing which I’ve never seen since I started playing cricket and started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, and that too a hard-earned one.”
India is the most successful team in Asia Cup history, winning the tournament nine times, though in the 41 years of this tournament, it’s the first time India played against Pakistan in the finals.
