The expected camaraderie on a sporting field gave way to hostility in the final match against Pakistan, as the competing players made fun of one other both before and after the game, making India’s ninth Asia Cup victory ultimately a footnote.
From the beginning, the competition had been tense, and the rivalry persisted into the final, which India won by five wickets on a long Sunday evening.
What began as India refusing to shake hands in sympathy with the Indian military and the victims of the Pahalgam terror assault turned into a full-fledged sarcastic exchange during the summit clash.
In the 18th over, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Haris Rauf with a brilliant yorker. As a cheeky farewell, Bumrah imitated the Pakistani pacer’s dipping-flight act celebration from the Super 4 match.
The crashing-plane motion that Bumrah made became viral on social media.
After 26 tourists were shot dead by terrorists supported by Pakistan earlier this year, Rauf’s actions were an attempt to ridicule India’s military response under “Operation Sindoor.” With Bumrah’s gesture, India retaliated against the attempt to mock the retaliatory action.
After India’s thrilling victory, the Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, appeared on the dais to present the winner’s trophy, but the Indian team refused to accept it from him.
The presentation ceremony was delayed by over an hour, with the champions left without the trophy after Naqvi walked away with it.
Following the victory, the Indian players celebrated on social media, emphasizing the absent trophy with emojis.
After dismissing Sanju Samson, Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed’s trademark head-tilt celebration was ridiculed by Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Harshit Rana.
Varun Chakravarthy posted symbolic pictures of a single tea cup to draw attention to the medals and trophy that have not yet been delivered to the winning team.
In lieu of the actual cup, the Indian players—among them Hardik Pandya—even uploaded images of themselves with trophy emojis.
Throughout the tournament, there had been a noticeable tension between the two teams.
The opposing side was not pleased with India’s “No Handshake Policy” and even held Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft accountable for the fiasco.
In response to Indian fans yelling ‘Kohli, Kohli’—a reference to the game-winning sixes Virat Kohli had hit off him during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne—Rauf further intensified the tensions during the Super 4 match by using profanity and a grotesque gesture that resembled the downing of a plane.
The motion that appears to have become Rauf’s signature celebration of late was repeated throughout the final.
However, as expected, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha criticized India’s strategy, calling it “disrespectful” of the game and a bad example for young fans who look up to players as role models.
“What India have done this tournament is very disappointing. They are not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they are disrespecting cricket. Good teams don’t do what they did,” he said at the post-match press conference.
But the Indians celebrated all night, without the trophy.
