The cricket final, took on more than the sport, when the team, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Pakistan by five wickets. Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was slated to present the trophy and medals. Following the refusal, the Indian team did not collect their winners' medals or the silverware, abruptly ending the ceremony. The Indian players later celebrated their triumph with a "champions" banner instead of the physical trophy.
There was a delay in the post-match proceedings, with the ceremony starting more than an hour after the final ball was bowled. The Indian team's refusal was a widely anticipated outcome, as tensions between the two sides had been on display throughout the tournament. India had previously skipped customary post-match handshakes with Pakistan, a stance that was maintained by players like Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh even after the final.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav expressed his dismay over the situation. "This is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing and following cricket. That a champion team is denied to get a trophy, that too a hard-earned one," the Indian captain said. He added, humorously noting the delay: "We were waiting for an hour and a half to have our celebrations," and quipped, "Champions ka board aaya aur wapas chala gaya. Woh bhi dekha."
The incident blowed the political undertones that have marred the tournament. The BCCI’s Secretary, Devajit Saikia, later alleged that Mohsin Naqvi "walked away with the Asia Cup trophy and the individual medals of the champion team." Saikia confirmed that the BCCI would be registering a protest against Naqvi at the International Cricket Council meeting next month, labeling the action as "very unfortunate, very unsporting."
"What India have done this tournament is very disappointing. They are not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they are disrespecting cricket. Good teams don't do what they did," said, Salman Ali Agha, at the post-match press conference. "We went to pose with the trophy on our own because we wanted to fulfil our obligations. We stood there and took our medals. I don't want to use harsh words but they've been very disrespectful." He also added that Suryakumar has been a different person in public when it came to exchanging words, compared to how he behaved in private.
