Salman Ali Agha criticizes India’s trophy refusal as a disrespect to cricket.

Pakistan’s T20 captain, Salman Ali Agha, expressed strong disappointment with India’s decision not to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from ACC head Mohsin Naqvi. He called the move an insult to the spirit of cricket. Salman stated that a good team would never act in such a manner, questioning how the trophy could be presented if the winners refused it. He also mentioned he had never witnessed such behavior in his life.

In a generous act, Salman Ali Agha announced he would donate his match fee from the final to support Pakistani families. He said this was a small gesture for those in need. Despite the loss, he expressed pride in his team’s strong performance throughout the tournament.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav also commented on the unusual event, saying he too had never seen a winning team not receive their trophy. He explained that the team made the decision on the field and were not informed by officials beforehand. Player Abhishek Sharma added that the team had at least “felt the trophy,” adding to the strange situation. Tensions increased when the Indian media manager later refused a question from a Pakistani journalist.

The controversy started right after the match ended. The Indian team declined to accept the winner’s trophy from Mohsin Naqvi during the ceremony. The presentation continued with the runner-up award for Pakistan. The event concluded with fireworks, but no medals or the main trophy were given to India. The Indian team later came back to the stage to take photos and celebrate their victory without the trophy.