Rajveer Sekhawat 
Dubai International Cricket Stadium, September 28, 2025: India won a thrilling Asia Cup T20 Final against arch-rivals Pakistan and by doing so, won their ninth title. But the celebrations were soon marred by a scandal that shook the world when the Indian team was said to have boycotted the trophy and medals of the winners handed to them by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman, who was also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman.
India’s Chase (150/5, 19.4 overs)
India started off on a bad note, chasing 147. The Pakistani bowlers made Faheem Ashraf their target of the day, with 3 wickets at 29 and leaving India trailing early on, at 20 at 3. Compelling force was piled on and the young sensation Tilak Varma rose to the occasion, with nerves of steel.
Varma, later adjudged as the Player of the Match, had a mature and composed innings, where he scored an unbeaten 69 runs, off 53 balls. He initially got the ship pinned down with a very important alliance with Sanju Samson (24 runs) and then took charge and found a willing partner in Shivam Dube (33 runs off 22 balls). Their collaboration re-introduced India in the game. Varma remained, striking the winning runs to carry India through to the target with only 2 balls remaining, to complete a five-wicket win to remember.
Controversy After Match: The Unprecedented Refusal of the Trophy.
As the cricketing world celebrated Indian resurgence and the heroism of Tilak Varma, what happened in its aftermath was shocking. The Indian cricket team is reported to have skipped the official presentation ceremony to receive the winners trophy and medals in the hands of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman.
People who were in the vicinity of the incident clarified that the ACC Chairman is the same person who is the head of Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) and was present at the dais, ready to award the trophy. But the Indian team, headed by their captain, decided as a unit to go round the formal process. Instead, the players went back out on the field and held a self-proscribed mock trophy ceremony raising an imaginary trophy among themselves, leaving the fans and commentators confused.
This is a major flaw in the post match etiquette, which will raise eyebrows among the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC). As India rejoices over the field with a well deserved win, the shadow of this diplomatic cricketing snub is long over their ninth Asia Cup win. The cricketing fraternity is now waiting to get official explanations and possible consequences of an incident that has brought a controversial dimension to the longstanding rivalry between India and Pakistan.
