Asia Cup 2025 Final, IND vs PAK Cricket Score and Reactions: There was plenty of drama after India won the Asia Cup final by defeating Pakistan by five wickets on Sunday. The Indian team refused to collect the winner’s trophy or their individual medals at the presentation ceremony. Why? Because Asia Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi — who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and the Interior Minister of Pakistan — insisted that he would give away the trophy to the winning team. The Indians refused to accept the trophy leading to an hour-long wait for the presentation ceremony to start after the winning runs were scored by India.

Later, there was further controversy after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia claimed that Naqvi had taken the trophy with him rather than hand it over to the Indians.

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ALSO READ | ‘Trophy leke bhaag gaye woh’: Suryakumar Yadav on the bizarre Asia Cup award presentation

The press conference of both captains after the final saw some heated questions. Journalists from India and Pakistan even argued during Salman Ali Agha’s press conference after a Pakistani scribe claimed that the Indian media manager had not allowed Pakistan journalists to ask Suryakumar Yadav or Abhishek Sharma a question at the Indian team’s press conference.

THE INDIAN EXPRESS’ TOP READS ON THE ASIA CUP DRAMA

Sandeep Dwivedi: By treating cricket as war, India and Pakistan do the game a disservice

Devendra Pandey interviews Suryakumar Yadav: ‘It was very important to take a stand (against Pakistan)… Everyone in the team thought the same’

Sandip G reports from Dubai: Asian cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi’s provocative social media reposts one of the reasons for India cricketers not accepting trophy from him

Sandip G takes you behind the scenes of the Asia Cup final drama: Off-field rancour after on-field hostility as Suryakumar Yadav’s India beat Pakistan to win Asia Cup

Earlier in the game itself, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube’s crucial partnership brought India back from the abyss and guided the Men in Blue to a 5-wicket win against Pakistan on Sunday, helping the team clinch their 9th Asia Cup. It wasn’t an easy task with Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi initially silencing the Indian crowd when they snapped up Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill for single digits inside powerplay. Apart from Dube, Varma also had an important partnership with Sanju Samson which steadied the innings.

WATCH | Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha confronted by journalist: ‘Shaking hands is not a rule’

Kuldeep Yadav took 4 wickets, leading the India bowling lineup as Pakistan suffered a horrible collapse after a steady start, losing 9 wickets for just 33 runs as they were skittled out for just 146 runs in 19.1 overs at Dubai in the Asia Cup final. It had started swimmingly for Pakistan with Sahibzada Farhan scoring 57 and Fakhar Zaman chipping in with 46 but Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (2/25), Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) and Axar Patel (2/26) ran through the remaining batters like hot knife through butter with only Saim Ayub the other batter to reach double figures.

SCROLL DOWN TO FOLLOW UPDATES AFTER INDIA’S ASIA CUP 2025 WIN OVER PAKISTAN AND THEIR REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THE WINNER’S TROPHY AND MEDALS FROM ACC’S PAKISTANI CHIEF MOHSIN NAQVI:

Match EndedAsia Cup, 2025 – Final

India150/5 (19.4)

vs

Pakistan146 (19.1)

Match Ended ( Day – Final )
India beat Pakistan by 5 wickets

Asia Cup 2025 final: India have an air of destiny, but underdogs Pakistan seem resurgent and have a history of rising to the big occasion

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, left, speaks as Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha, right, looks on ahead of the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Under the harsh evening sun, the groundsmen are trimming the rough edges of the grass on the outfield. The broadcast hands are untangling the wiry knots of their gargantuan cameras and reassessing their perch. The security personnel are combing every square inch of the arena and fixing the barricades. Pantry staff are chit-chatting, before the manager gives them a proverbial rap on the knuckles. The unquiet tension of hosting an India-Pakistan final is visible in the precincts and inner sanctums of the Dubai International Stadium. Read more from Sandip G here.