Asia Cup 2025: When Cricket became a Board game

The 2025 Asia Cup final in Dubai was meant to be a glittering showcase of subcontinental cricket. Instead, it ended in unprecedented scenes—India’s players refusing to accept the trophy—an act that exposed how politics and power have infiltrated cricket’s highest boardrooms.

On 28 September 2025, more than 28,000 fans in Dubai and nearly half a billion viewers worldwide tuned in for the India–Pakistan clash. After a shaky start at 10–2, India recovered through Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 and Kuldeep Yadav’s match-turning spin, sealing a five-wicket win and a record ninth Asia Cup title. Chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” rang out, and for a moment, cricket had delivered the spectacle fans craved. But within an hour, the triumph was eclipsed. The presentation ceremony stalled; anchors were left filling air-time as officials argued behind the scenes.

Tradition dictates that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman hands over the trophy. In 2025, that figure was Mohsin Naqvi, head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, ACC president, and also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Acting on instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian players refused to share the stage.

“This was handled with utmost dignity by our team, following board instructions,” said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia

Presenter Simon Doull broke the news live: “The ACC has informed us that India will not be collecting their trophy tonight”.

As Naqvi waited on stage, organisers quietly removed the silverware. India left without lifting a trophy they had rightfully earned.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav lamented: “A champion team was denied a trophy, and it was a hard-earned one. The players and support staff, they are the real trophies”.

Politics in the Boardroom

This standoff was no accident. It reflected how deeply political figures dominate cricket boards in South Asia. Although Jay Shah recently changed jobs from BCCI Secretary to directly becoming the ICC Chairman, Jay Shah, serving as the Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC), has been accused of pressuring Team India into playing Pakistan despite reluctance from within the camp. Sanjay Raut, a member of parliament in India, recently alleged that Shah’s hand forced the decision, turning the match into an obligation rather than a choice

In Pakistan, Naqvi straddles cabinet politics and cricket leadership, now extending influence to the ACC.

Such direct political involvement is rare in other major cricketing nations. As one critic put it: “If you’re a politician, you should not be allowed to be part of this sporting board. Sporting boards are meant for people who have done the sport, not politicians”.

This intertwining of politics and business drives decisions on fixtures, venues, and finances. India–Pakistan games, in particular, are the sport’s economic engine, with millions generated from broadcasting, sponsorships, and sell-out gates.

Observers argue the ACC could have defused the crisis by appointing a neutral presenter for the final. Its constitution allows members to depose leaders by majority, but in practice, smaller nations are financially dependent on India and Pakistan, making resistance difficult.

“They could have changed the ACC chairperson for this year. No-one from India, No-one from Pakistan, just while tensions simmer down. That’s something that could have prevented this chaos,” one analysis noted.

By choosing not to act, the ACC let political tensions dictate cricket’s biggest stage.

Pakistani voices defended Naqvi, but even some local commentators admitted a neutral figure might have avoided the humiliation. Meanwhile, Indian fans applauded their team’s stance as “principled” resistance to politicisation.

Cricket or Board Game – Where does the road end?

The Asia Cup 2025 will be remembered less for Varma’s brilliance and more for the image of a trophy carried away unused. It underscored the uncomfortable reality: cricket today is governed as much in boardrooms as on pitches.

Until cricket boards prioritise sport over politics, fans risk seeing victories defined not by who played better but by who holds power. For diaspora communities who cherish cricket as a cultural bond, this was more than a trophy drama; it was a reminder that even the “gentleman’s game” is no longer immune from the world’s harshest politics.

As we wait for the Indian Tour of Australia in October, starting with the first ODI at Perth, one can only hope that both teams bring back that respect, sportsmanship and healthy rivalry that make our nations great.