Asia Cup: Drama at Dubai- Inside details of how PCB chief Naqvi ran away with trophy

TimesofIndia.com successful Dubai: The Asia Cup last betwixt India and Pakistan was truthful melodramatic that it could easy animate a web series, particularly aft Rinku Singh deed the winning runs.Indian players celebrated the triumph successful jubilation, with antheral of the infinitesimal Tilak Verma playing an exceptional unbeaten 69.While the Indian players were engaged celebrating, the Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan squad went consecutive into their dressing country and locked themselves in.There was implicit chaos arsenic the Pakistan squad delayed the post-match presentation, stepping retired lone aft an hr portion Indian cricketers and coaching unit were speaking to broadcasters.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that the Indian squad did not privation to person the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who besides happens to beryllium Pakistan's interior minister.Upon learning astir India’s stance, ACC officials held discussions to code the situation. The Indian squad had requested to person the trophy from Emirates Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, but the petition was denied. Mohsin Naqvi insisted connected presenting the medals and instructed that the Asia Cup trophy beryllium taken away.India had already shown its presumption by avoiding handshakes with Pakistani players during each 3 Asia Cup encounters and skipping the customary pre-toss photoshoot.

When Naqvi approached the presumption stage, Indian supporters successful the stadium responded with boos and chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” Pakistani players, particularly accelerated bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi, were besides booed by the Indian fans.Simon Doull announced that the Pakistan squad would person the runners-up medals from Naqvi, who refused. Instead, Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam handed implicit the medals and asked Naqvi to springiness the runners-up cheque to Salman Ali Agha, which the Pakistan skipper threw aside.Simon Doull aboriginal stated, “I person been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket squad volition not beryllium collecting their awards tonight. So that concludes the post-match presentation.” After this, each ACC officials, including Mohsin Naqvi, near the stadium.The Indian squad patiently waited for the trophy arsenic the champions placard was brought doubly by groundsmen and past taken back. Hardik Pandya was the archetypal to measurement onto the podium, taking a selfie, followed by the remainder of the squad and coaching staff. Captain Suryakumar Yadav mimicked Rohit Sharma's iconic T20 World Cup 2024 walk, celebrating India’s triumph with an imaginary trophy.In the post-match property conference, Suryakumar slammed the ACC for withholding the trophy: “I person ne'er seen a champion squad being denied a trophy, that excessively a hard-earned one.”

Abhishek Sharma

echoed him, taking a cheeky jab: “We really got 1 — Surya bhai brought it! We felt it, we knew its weight.”Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha criticised the Indian team: “If helium (Mohsin Naqvi) is the ACC president, past helium volition lone springiness the trophy. If you don’t privation to instrumentality it from him, however volition you get a trophy?”India Cricket Board caput Devajit Saikia condemned the PCB’s actions: “We decided not to judge the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who represents a state presently astatine likelihood with ours. That was our stance. But this does not springiness him the close to instrumentality the trophy and medals. It is highly unfortunate and unsportsmanlike. We anticipation the trophy and medals are returned to India arsenic soon arsenic possible. We volition motorboat a superior protestation astatine the ICC league successful Dubai this November.

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