The Asia Cup 2025 has ended, but not without controversy. India clinched the trophy for a record ninth time after a thrilling win over Pakistan in the final, yet the aftermath deepened political and sporting tensions between the two arch-rivals.

The flashpoint began when Pakistan was beaten in a close encounter by India. Youngster Tilak Varma kept his composure under pressure, guiding India home with five wickets in hand. Soon after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi added fuel to the fire with a veiled jibe at Pakistan, posting on X:

“Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”

Also read: 'Operation Sindoor on the Games Field': India-Pakistan Final Paves Way for Extraordinary Political Posturing

The phrase “Operation Sindoor” was the name of India’s recent military action against Pakistan, making the remark deeply political.

The hostility wasn’t limited to rhetoric. Indian players did not shake hands with their opponents throughout the tournament, and in the final of September 29, they refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi – who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman.

Naqvi, who waited on the dais for nearly an hour with other dignitaries, later said in response to Modi's post on X: “If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands.”

Instead of a trophy presentation, the Indian team celebrated with a symbolic gesture, pretending to hoist an invisible cup. Skipper Surya Kumar Yadav later said: “I think this is one thing I have never seen since I started playing cricket – the champion team being denied the trophy.”

But he also admitted the decision to reject the presentation was made by the Indian team itself at the very last minute, weakening the team management’s claim that they were forced into the situation by Naqvi.

Politics spills onto the pitch

Behind the scenes, it was the Indian government that set the tone. The Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Amit Shah, had cleared India’s participation in the Asia Cup only weeks before the event (the first week of August), despite Operation Sindoor.

Sources told this writer that before India’s first match with Pakistan, a directive was quietly passed from the government to the BCCI and team management: avoid handshakes, avoid receiving the trophy from Pakistani officials. Gautam Gambhir, now India’s chief coach, ensured compliance.

This directive came after opposition parties grilled the Modi government, asking how India could play cricket with Pakistan while military tensions were still on. By then, pictures of Surya Kumar shaking hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and ACC chief Naqvi at pre-tournament events had gone viral, forcing a stricter political stance.

The hostility only escalated on the field. In the final, Jasprit Bumrah celebrated Haris Rauf’s dismissal with a “crashing plane” gesture – retaliation for Rauf’s earlier mockery of India’s military action. Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan, too, had celebrated a half-century with a gun gesture in a previous game.

Never before had cricket sunk so deep into political theatre. As Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha bluntly said: “If they think they disrespected us by not shaking hands, then I say they disrespected cricket.”

Olympic dream at risk

The saga goes beyond cricket. India has already submitted its bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games in Ahmedabad, a pet project of Modi. But the events of the Asia Cup risk undermining that ambition.

The Olympic Charter requires host nations to guarantee free entry to all athletes and officials, regardless of political disputes. India has faced trouble on this front before: 

• In 2019, Pakistani shooters were denied visas for a World Cup in Delhi, prompting the IOC to strip the event of its Olympic qualification status.
• In 2018, a Kosovo boxer was denied entry to India for the Women’s World Boxing Championships. In 2023, the same boxer was kept from competing in India under her country's flag.
• Similar incidents in Malaysia and Dubai have led to international sanctions.

If India continues to allow politics to dictate sport – whether through handshake bans, trophy refusals, or nationalistic messaging – it risks alienating the very bodies that will decide its Olympic fate.

The Asia Cup may have been a victory on paper, but PM Modi’s Operation Sindoor post and the team’s refusal to engage in basic sportsmanship could haunt India’s credibility on the world stage.

The bottom line

India’s ninth Asia Cup triumph should have been remembered for Tilak Varma’s composure, Bumrah’s brilliance, and Abhishek Sharma’s brilliant run with the bat. Instead, it will be remembered for invisible trophies, hostile gestures, and political overtones.

The Olympic Charter preaches: “Play the game and play it well.” Unless India draws a line between politics and sport, the dream of hosting the 2036 Olympics may remain just that – a dream.

Chander Shekhar Luthra is a sports journalist.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.