Opinions continue to come thick and fast over Team India’s decision to refuse the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the hands of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Furious with India’s stance, Naqvi decided not to hand over the trophy to Suryakumar Yadav‘s men. Instead, he took the trophy and the winners’ medals to his hotel room in Dubai. Seeing the entire saga unfold, South Africa cricket great AB de Villiers refused to mince his words, criticising Team India for letting politics spill onto sports.
In a video on his YouTube channel, De Villiers said that he was sad to see the saga that unfolded after India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup 2025 final. For De Villiers, also one of the finest players to have played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), cricket and politics should always be kept separate from each other.
“Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sport. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is. Quite sad to see that, but hopefully they will sort things out in the future. It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end,” De Villiers noted.
The Asia Cup controversy saw India and Pakistan’s political relations overshadowing cricket for the entire length of the tournament. India went on to lift the title unbeaten. Yet, what grabbed the spotlight on social media was the lack of handshakes or gestures on the field.
De Villiers, however, is quite impressed with India’s T20 set-up, especially keeping in mind the T20 World Cup next year.
“Let’s focus on what’s most important (the cricket itself). India are looking really, really strong. Building up to that big T20 World Cup. Remember, it’s not too far away. And they look like they’ve got a lot of talent, and they play the big moments well. So fantastic (to watch),” De Villiers said.