Asia Cup: India-Pakistan tensions spill into trophy presentation after cricket grudge match

Simmering political tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified on the cricket field with the India team refusing to accept the Asia Cup trophy from a senior Pakistani official.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Simmering political tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified on the cricket field with the India team refusing to accept the Asia Cup trophy from a senior Pakistani official, having already declined handshakes with their archrival for three consecutive matches.

Tilak Varma’s nerveless half-century helped India beat archrivals Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday and claim its ninth Asia Cup.

But it was at the post-match presentation ceremony where tensions reached a boiling point.

The ceremony was first delayed for unclear reasons for more than an hour and a half. The Pakistan team, led by captain Salman Agha, then arrived late for the ceremony. However, there was a further delay as the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.

India’s Twenty20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav claimed that his team was denied the chance to lift the 2025 Asia Cup trophy.