NEW DELHI: India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the controversy that erupted during the Asia Cup 2025 final after his team refused to shake hands with Pakistani players and declined to accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi. The incident sparked a debate over whether politics was being brought into cricket during the post-match press conference.The Indian team’s decision to boycott handshakes with Pakistan throughout the tournament had already attracted criticism from Pakistani journalists, who accused the players of violating the spirit of the game. Matters escalated further when the Indian side refused to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi — Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president — known for his reported anti-India remarks. As a result, Naqvi left the venue with the trophy, and the Indian players were left celebrating with an “imaginary” one.During the press conference, a Pakistani journalist confronted Surya with a series of questions regarding the team’s conduct, asking: “Today you are champions, you played a great game. But the question is, throughout this tournament your behavior towards the Pakistan team has been noticed — you didn’t do handshakes, you didn’t take part in the photo session with the trophy, then you held a political press conference. Do you think that in the history of cricket you are the first captain who has brought politics into the game of cricket?”
Despite attempts by the Indian media manager to stop him from responding, Yadav replied: “Do I have to answer or not? Gussa ho rahe ho aap (You’re getting angry). I couldn’t even understand your question — you asked four questions at the same time.”Following the tournament, Yadav announced that he would donate his match fees to the Indian Army, stating: “I want to give my match fees from all the games which I have played in this tournament to the Indian Army.”The episode highlighted the growing tensions between the two cricketing nations, with the handshake boycott and trophy presentation controversy dominating discussions. India’s triumph in the Asia Cup 2025 was ultimately overshadowed by the diplomatic flashpoints that emerged during the tournament.
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