‘Ridiculous’: Ravi Shastri furious over delayed Asia Cup 2025 Trophy ceremony

Dubai: Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri expressed his frustration over the delayed presentation ceremony following India’s victory against Pakistan in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Speaking during a discussion alongside former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram on an Indian sports platform, Shastri did not hold back his criticism over the prolonged wait for the presentation ceremony.

"The crowd is there, making noise, the atmosphere is worthy of a final, and yet we hang around for 45 minutes not knowing what’s happening. It’s ridiculous," Shastri said.

The Indian team did not collect their winners’ medals or the Asia Cup trophy during the ceremony. 

The delay followed a brief standoff between the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Indian team, as India refused to receive the silverware from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The closing ceremony, which featured the eight participating teams, started after an hour-long delay. 

Individual awards were handed out during the ceremony: India’s Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Tilak Varma were recognised for their performances in the final, while Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha collected the prize money for finishing as runners-up.

Later, Kuldeep Yadav received the Best Bowler of the Tournament award, and left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Tournament.

However, the ceremony concluded without the winning team collecting the trophy, with presenter Simon Doull announcing: "I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation."

Sources confirmed that the delay occurred due to India’s refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi, reportedly on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). ACC President Naqvi, however, remained firm on his stance and did not back down.

India eventually clinched the Asia Cup 2025 title after a hard-fought five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, securing their ninth continental crown.