00:00The 2025 Asia Cup Final was supposed to be a night of celebration.
00:19India, led by skipper Surya Kumar Yadav, defeated Pakistan in a thrilling five-wicket victory.
00:24But what unfolded after the match would shock fans and ignite a cricketing controversy
00:31like never before.
00:33Pakistan got off to a flying start, with Shahibzada Farhan scoring 57 of 38 balls and Fakar Zaman
00:39contributing 46 of 35, putting on an 84-run opening stand that gave them a strong platform.
00:46However, India's spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarti triggered a dramatic collapse,
00:51and Jaspreet Bumrah wrapped up the tale, restricting Pakistan to 1.46 all-out in 19.1 overs.
00:59Chasing the modest target, India stumbled early losing three quick wickets.
01:04But a masterful 69-0 out from Tilakvarma, combined with key partnerships with Sanju Samson and
01:10Shivam Dubey, steadied the innings.
01:13In a storybook moment, Rinku Singh struck the winning runs on his first Asia Cup match completing
01:18a spectacular victory.
01:20It was a clean sweep against Pakistan across all three encounters in the tournament.
01:25India's dominance on the field was undeniable, but off the field, a storm was brewing.
01:32As the post-match awards ceremony began, the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup
01:37trophy from ACC chairman Mohsin Nakhui.
01:40Why?
01:41Because Nakhui isn't just the ACC chief.
01:44He is also Pakistan's interior minister and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
01:50BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia made India's stance crystal clear.
01:55Saikia called Nakhui's act of walking away with the trophy and medals unsportsmanlike and
02:01announced that India would lodge a strong protest at the upcoming ICC conference in Dubai this
02:06November.
02:07In fact, we have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman who happens to be the
02:16one of the main leader of Pakistan.
02:18So we decided not to take it from him, but that does not mean that the gentleman will take
02:23away the trophy with him along with the medals.
02:25Presenter Simon Dole informed the crowd that the Indian team would not collect their awards.
02:39With Pakistan players collecting their medals, the ceremony ended abruptly.
02:43The Indian squad celebrated without trophies, fireworks lighting up the Dubai sky as Surya
02:49Kumar Yadav led the team in a slow-walk celebration reminiscent of Rohit Sharma's 2024 T20 World Cup
02:57victory.
02:58Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, in a fiery post on X, drew a striking parallel between
03:04cricket and combat.
03:06Operation Sindhur on the game's field, outcome is the same – India wins.
03:12But Maussin Nakhui wasn't done.
03:13Hours after walking away with the trophy, he took two X to fire back at Modi, writing,
03:18If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan's
03:24hands.
03:25No cricket match can rewrite that truth.
03:27Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.
03:34But history tells a different story.
03:36In 1965, Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar collapsed.
03:40In 1971, Pakistan lost its eastern wing, leading to Bangladesh's creation.
03:45In 1999, the Kargil misadventure ended in disaster.
03:50And most recently, Operation Sindhur, India's retaliation for the Pahlgam terror attack that
03:55killed 26 tourists, struck deep into Pakistan-backed terror camps.
04:01Time and again, Pakistan's provocations have ended in humiliating defeats.
04:08Despite being trophy-less, Team India's triumph is clear.
04:11The victory over Pakistan, on and off the field, was celebrated by the players and fans alike.
04:19Against this backdrop, the BCCI isn't holding back.
04:22Saiki has demanded the return of India's rightful trophy and medals, warning that India will
04:28press for Nakhui's accountability and possible ouster at the ICC conference in November.
04:34This marks an unprecedented move by the BCCI, signalling their intent to challenge the ACC chief
04:40on an international stage.
04:42India is having a war with a country, and that country is one of the main leaders, is supposed
04:49to hand over the trophy to us.
04:51It is not possible for us, it is not ethically as well as morally possible for us.
04:56And if you think from the point of patriotism also, we cannot accept a trophy from a person
05:01who represents a country, that country is waging a war against our country.
05:05So we have refused to take the trophy, but that does not mean that that gentleman will
05:09take the trophy and the medals which is to be given to our country to his own hotel room.
05:15So that is totally unexpected and we hope that good sense will prevail and he will send
05:20back the trophy to the country, that means to India, as soon as possible.
05:24That will restore some semblance of morality, at least we are expecting that from him.
05:30And in any case, BCCI as well as we are going to lodge a very strong protest against the behaviour
05:36of the gentleman in today's prize distribution ceremony.
05:40This controversy is not just about cricket.
05:43It is a clash of national pride in politics.
05:46India's participation in multinational tournaments follows government policy.
05:51While India avoids bilateral CVs against hostile nations, events like the Asia Cup involve
05:57multiple countries.
05:58Yet, the backdrop of regional tensions and Pakistan's continued provocations made this
06:04more than just a cricket match.
06:08The Asia Cup 2025 will be remembered for two things.
06:12India's brilliance on the field and the storm that followed of it.
06:17Team India celebrated their triumph without trophies, while the BCCI prepares to make its strongest
06:22statement yet at the ICC.
06:25As PM Modi put it, Operation Sindhur on the games field had the same outcome.
06:31India wins.
06:32India wins.
06:33India wins.
06:34India wins.
06:35India wins.
06:36India wins.
06:37India wins.
06:38India wins.
06:39India wins.
06:40India wins.
06:41India wins.
06:42India wins.
06:43India wins.
06:44India wins.
06:45India wins.
06:46India wins.
06:47India wins.
06:48India wins.
06:49India wins.
06:50India wins.
06:51India wins.
06:52India wins.
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06:54India wins.
06:55India wins.
06:56India wins.
06:57India wins.
06:58India wins.
06:59India wins.
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