Kapil Dev Urges India-Pakistan to Leave Politics Off the Cricket Field

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev has expressed his disappointment over the off-field controversies that marred the 2025 Asia Cup, urging players from both India and Pakistan to concentrate on cricket and leave political matters to politicians. The tournament, marked by several tense moments including handshake refusals and India’s decision not to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi—who also serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)—further intensified the historic rivalry between the two teams.

The Asia Cup final saw India defeat Pakistan for the third time in the tournament, but celebrations were overshadowed when the Indian team declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi. After Pakistan’s medal ceremony, commentator Simon Doull revealed that India had chosen not to take the trophy at all, leading to Naqvi’s early departure from the venue. Kapil Dev, speaking to India Today, emphasized that while the media has a role in covering all aspects of the event, cricketers should focus on the sport rather than politics. He urged, “I just want to say — your responsibility, and responsibility for the entire media also — we should look into the sports side rather than looking into the politics side.” He added that it would be better if sportsmanship was prioritized over political tensions.

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The final was not the only incident that drew attention. Throughout the tournament, Indian players avoided shaking hands with Pakistani players in multiple matches. For example, during one toss, India’s Suryakumar Yadav refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s Salman Agha. Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan sparked controversy with a “gun” celebration during the Super Four fixture, while fast bowler Haris Rauf also made provocative gestures toward Indian fans. Following the final, Suryakumar Yadav clarified that the decision to snub Naqvi was made collectively by the Indian players on the field.

Kapil Dev, who famously led India to its first World Cup victory in 1983, acknowledged that players naturally have nationalistic feelings but stressed the importance of maintaining sportsmanship. He remarked that shaking hands or not is not a major issue, and the refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi is understandable, but urged players to move beyond these incidents. “You have to finish, you have to move on. Let the government do that job, let the politician do that job,” he said. The cricket legend concluded by calling on both sides to work towards resolving differences off the field, so that cricket remains a sport that unites rather than divides.