KEY POINTS
- Indian players snubbed a handshake and refused to take the Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi
- Indian media falsely claimed Naqvi apologised to the BCCI over the trophy row, which he strongly denied
- Naqvi slammed India for politicising cricket through military rhetoric and misinformation.
ISLAMABAD: From a cold-shouldered handshake to the arrogant refusal to lift the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, India has recast cricket, once revered as the gentleman’s game, into a stage for political theatrics. What was meant to unite has been turned into a battleground, as nationalism trumped sportsmanship.
Now, fuelled by a mix of nationalistic bravado and misinformation, the Indian media, following their board’s and governmental fanatic attitude, has fabricated reports that ACC and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had apologised to the BCCI over the trophy row. The truth, as Naqvi made clear, was far from it.
Indian media thrives on lies, not facts. Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologized to the BCCI nor will I ever do so.
This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people. Unfortunately,… https://t.co/kHwBkEeQC2
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) October 1, 2025
Trophy Tensions: From Disrespect to Disinformation
The post-match ceremony on Sunday saw a stunning display of hostility as Indian players reportedly refused to shake hands with PCB and ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
This act of unsportsmanlike behaviour culminated in India’s refusal to receive the winners’ trophy from the ACC chief, breaking a longstanding tradition in international cricket.
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav later claimed that the team had been “denied” the trophy, a statement immediately contradicted by video footage and eyewitness reports. Naqvi, speaking on the matter, clarified:
“As ACC chairman, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
Adding fuel to the fire, several Indian media outlets, including India Today, Financial Express, and Hindustan Times, claimed that Naqvi had since apologised to the BCCI while still refusing to hand over the trophy.
Naqvi responded sharply on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“Indian media thrives on lies, not facts. Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so. These are fabricated lies and cheap propaganda.”
He condemned what he termed a “media disinformation campaign” aimed at misleading the Indian public and dragging politics into the realm of sport.
Politicising Victory: From Pahalgam to Operation Sindoor
The tension surrounding the final was not limited to on-field antics. In a highly controversial post-match statement, Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the Asia Cup win to victims of the May Pahalgam incident, a move widely seen as politicising sport.
The PCB promptly lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC), resulting in Yadav being fined 30 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.
Naqvi, reacting to Yadav’s remarks, had earlier said, “It was disappointing to see the lack of sportsmanship. Cricket should unite, not be turned into a political weapon.”
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory post for the Indian team referred to the Asia Cup win as a continuation of “Operation Sindoor”, a military campaign title linked to recent cross-border tensions. Naqvi did not hold back, issuing a blunt retort:
If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game https://t.co/lqiUATm3wX
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) September 29, 2025
“If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.”
