India captain Suryakumar Yadav was left speechless as ACC chair Mohsin Naqvi swiftly exited the Dubai International Stadium with the Asia Cup trophy.
Suryakumar Yadav Speaks Out After India Denied Asia Cup Trophy
India captain Suryakumar Yadav was left at a loss for words after his team was denied the Asia Cup 2025 trophy when Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head Mohsin Naqvi swiftly exited the Dubai International Stadium with it. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
Tensions between India and Pakistan had flared throughout the eight-team Asia Cup, with multiple flashpoints including no handshakes and provocative gestures. The finale, however, produced the tournament’s most controversial incident: the post-match presentation was delayed by nearly an hour amid chaotic organisation.
According to protocol, the ACC chair, Naqvi, was to present the trophy. The Indian camp refused, citing Naqvi’s repeated bias toward Pakistan cricket. When the ceremony finally resumed, Naqvi stood on the presentation dais, while India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Abhishek Sharma received their individual awards. Broadcaster Simon Doull then abruptly ended the ceremony, stating, “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”
At the post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav expressed his disbelief. “This is one thing which I have never seen. Since I started playing cricket, I have been following cricket. That a champion team is denied a trophy. That too, a hard-earned one. We have been here since the 4th, and played a game today. Two back-to-back good games in two days. I feel we deserved it,” he said.
Referring to the team spirit and journey, Suryakumar Yadav added, “My trophies are sitting in my dressing room. All 14 guys are with me. All the support staff. Those are the real trophies. Real moments which I am taking back as lovely memories which will stay with me forever going forward. And that’s all.”
‘The win is important’
Reacting to the post-match controversy, India captain Suryakumar Yadav stressed that it did not matter his team was denied the Asia Cup trophy, as the world already knows India won and their performance cannot be ignored. Earlier, ACC head Mohsin Naqvi had stirred further tensions by mocking Indian fans on social media, referencing Pakistan’s claims of bringing down Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor, instead of remaining impartial.
He added, “I think it was a great moment. Great journey. Great campaign for us as a team. And I am sure the support staff will also agree. And we had a lot of fun.” India chased down Pakistan’s target of 147 in the Asia Cup 2025 final with five wickets in hand and two balls to spare. Tilak Varma played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 69 off 53 balls, including three fours and four sixes, turning the game decisively in India’s favor.
