Published on: Sept 29, 2025 05:57 pm IST
Mohammad Kaif expressed his disappointment on the controversy and said that he felt ‘sad’ as the ‘players were denied’ to celebrate with the trophy.
India defeated Pakistan to win a record-extending ninth Asia Cup title. But the drama didn’t just end after Rinku Singh’s match-winning four in the final over. Suryakumar Yadav and Co. were unable to celebrate with the trophy, as they didn’t want to receive it from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi. The presentation was delayed and some reports blamed it on the delay of the Pakistan cricket team. Then at the end, the Indian players returned to their hotel empty-handed after a one-hour-long delay. Meanwhile, ACC and PCB chief Naqvi left the venue in Dubai with the trophy. The Indian team and Naqvi were on the stage, but the Pakistan team was absent. Naqvi could be seen having an animated conversation on his phone and finally Salman Ali Agha, Mike Hesson and the Pakistan team manager stepped out, accompanied by loud boos.
Soon, the other Pakistan players also came, leading to more boos. Then the Indian team didn’t want the trophy from Naqvi, and according to reports it was decided that Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni would do the honours. The Pakistani players collected their medals and even Agha threw the runners-up cheque, with Naqvi on the stage. But when it was India’s turn to get the trophy, Doull announced, “the ACC has informed us that India will not be collecting their trophy tonight.”
Meanwhile, Naqvi also left the stadium, hinting that he did not want to see India get photographed with the trophy.
‘What hurts is that the Indian team deserved that trophy moment’: Mohammad Kaif
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mohammad Kaif expressed his disappointment on the controversy and said that he felt ‘sad’ as the ‘players were denied’ to celebrate with the trophy.
“What hurts is that the Indian team deserved that trophy moment, they earned the right to celebrate and pose for photos with it after all their hard work, especially after Tilak Varma’s remarkable unbeaten innings that won the final. With captain Suryakumar Yadav leading this young team, these moments become lifelong memories for all, the kind that inspire young players to aspire for India, just like seeing the 1983 World Cup trophy did for us. It’s very sad the players were denied that on the field, though the trophy will come to them later,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the post-match press conference, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about the decision not to take the trophy from Naqvi. He clarified that the decision was made by the players on the field after the match, and there was no message from BCCI.
