'Dragging war into...': PCB targets India after Asia Cup final
What's the story
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi accused India of tarnishing the spirit of cricket after the 2025 Men's T20 Asia Cup final. He slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post on X, congratulating Team India for the Asia Cup, which had an Operation Sindoor reference. Responding to the same, Naqvi criticized PM Modi for "dragging war into sport." Notably, India beat Pakistan in Dubai to claim their ninth Asia Cup title.
Reaction
Naqvi responds to PM Modi's Asia Cup victory post
After the victory, PM Modi praised the team's victory with an X post, writing, "Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same - India wins! Congrats to our cricketers." Responding to the post, Naqvi wrote, "If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan's hands. No cricket match can rewrite the truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game."
Match details
India won the Asia Cup final on Sunday
As mentioned, India won the Asia Cup final held in Dubai on Sunday. Despite their victory, the post-match presentation was delayed by 90 minutes due to off-field drama. When it finally began, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma collected their individual awards. However, they refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy that was set to be presented by Naqvi, also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman.
Trophy
BCCI secretary confirms India refused to accept trophy
Toward the end of the post-match presentation, Simon Doull, the host broadcaster's presenter, announced that "I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight." BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed that India had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony. Despite this, Indian players remained unfazed and posed with an imaginary trophy while fireworks marked another ICC tournament loss for Pakistan.
Match summary
India beat Pakistan in thrilling final
Earlier, India won their ninth Asia Cup title with a five-wicket win over Pakistan in a thrilling final in Dubai. Despite an early top-order, India managed to chase down 147 in the final over. Their fightback was led by Tilak, who hammered an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls. Rinku Singh smashed the winning four in a tense finish. Earlier, the Kuldeep Yadav-led spin attack triggered Pakistan's batting collapse. Kuldeep took four wickets as Pakistan perished without playing 20 overs.
Tensions
India beat Pakistan thrice
India and Pakistan clashed thrice in the 2025 T20 Asia Cup, with the former sealing all three encounters. The iconic cricketing rivalry endured the heat, ranging from boycott calls to on-field verbal volleys and the subsequent complaints lodged by the two boards. The two countries have been at loggerheads since the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack in April this year. While India responded by launching Operation Sindoor, Pakistan retaliated with drone attacks.