By Vishal Mehra

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Asia Cup 2025 concluded with the India national cricket team winning their ninth overall, and third T20I edition of the continental competition, by beating arch-rivals Pakistan national cricket team in the high-voltage final on Sunday (September 28) at Dubai International Stadium. India went undefeated in the tournament, which produced good cricket in the middle, but was majorly in the limelight for all the controversial reasons, which saw the Pakistan Cricket Board, Board of Control for Cricket in India, International Cricket Council, and Asian Cricket Council all spring into action. In this article, we write down a list of controversies that marred the tournament. IND vs PAK Video Highlights, Asia Cup 2025 Final: Watch India Win Thriller Against Pakistan As Tilak Varma’s T20I Masterclass Spearheads Epic Chase Handshake Controversy The first controversy that really became a massive issue was Team India players’ refusal to shake hands with Pakistan national cricket team players after the IND vs PAK Asia Cup Group A match, which started with Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha not doing their customary shake of hands during the toss. However, things escalated when batters Yadav and Shivam Dube walked off the ground after taking India past the finish line as Pakistan players kept waiting for a handshake. Provocative Gestures and Celebrations With all the tension between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025, the IND vs PAK Super 4 clash saw a rise in aggression and emotion for players. Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, in particular, hogged all the limelight with their provocative gestures and celebrations in the field, leading to authorities like ICC, BCCI, and PCB getting involved. Rauf made several provocation gestures on the ground, starting with a plane-crash, to 6-0, that irked BCCI, while Farhan did the gun-shot celebration after scoring his half-century, which mimicked a machine gun. Political Remarks and ICC Disciplinary Actions India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated the Indian national cricket team’s win in the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Group A match to the security forces, who participated in Operation Sindoor, and victims of the Pahalgam Terror Attack, mixing politics with sports. The PCB did not take Yadav’s actions lightly and went to the ICC, much like the BCCI, which complained about Rauf and Farhan. As is the case when ICC intervenes, disciplinary actions were taken against all involved parties, with Yadav being found guilty of breaking the ICC Code of Conduct and fined 30 percent of this match fee. Rauf and Farhan, too, were handed punishments by the ICC, with the former handed a 30 percent fine from the match fee, and the latter served a warning. Trophy Presentation Drama The cherry on top of the controversy cake happened after the conclusion of the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Final, when the winners Indian national cricket team, refused to participate in the trophy presentation. Reportedly, BCCI gave a directive to Team India not to take part in the presentation, where ACC Chair Mohsin Naqvi, who is also PCB President, was to hand over the Asia Cup trophy to the winning team, and do customary handshakes with players. Why Team India Did Not Receive Asia Cup 2025 Winners Trophy During IND vs PAK Post-Match Presentation Ceremony? Check Reason. Team India Celebrates Asia Cup 2025 Win 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🫶🇮🇳#SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/D6xOiApFEv — Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 28, 2025 Match Delays and Boycott Threats After the no-handshake row during the IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Group A match, the Pakistan Cricket Board tried to hold the ACC to ransom, threatening a pullout from the competition in case ICC Match Referee Andy Pycroft was not removed. PCB remained unmoved about their indecisiveness to play in the Asia Cup 2025, which saw the PAK vs UAE Group A encounter get delayed by one hour as Pakistan players refused to travel to the stadium on match day. Eventually, smarter heads prevailed in PCB, and Pakistan did play against the UAE, but not before creating a huge mess over their participation.