Karachi, October 2, 2025: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has expressed disappointment at India’s refusal to receive the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, saying the incident undermined the spirit of sport.
The final in Dubai ended in controversy after Indian players reportedly declined to shake hands with Pakistan’s cricketers and later refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The standoff caused an hour-long delay to the post-match ceremony and drew sharp criticism from across the cricketing world.
While individual awards were handed out — with Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Tilak Varma recognised for their contributions in the final, and Abhishek Sharma named Player of the Tournament — the closing ceremony concluded without the traditional trophy presentation. Presenter Simon Doull announced that the winners would not be collecting their awards, formally ending proceedings.
Speaking on his AB de Villiers 360 YouTube channel, the former Proteas star said the episode set a damaging precedent.
“Team India weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sport. Politics should stay aside. Sport should be celebrated for what it is,” de Villiers remarked.
“It was quite awkward at the end, and sad to see. Hopefully this gets sorted out in the future.”
The incident has sparked debate about politics in cricket and left the 2025 Asia Cup remembered as much for its off-field controversies as for India’s victory on the pitch.
