In his assessment of the India vs. Pakistan 2025 Asia Cup disputes, Kapil Dev advised players to “stick to sports.”
The dramatic India vs. Pakistan conflicts during the 2025 Asia Cup did not please Kapil Dev.
In the tournament, the bitter rivals squared off three times, with India emerging victorious in both the group stage and the Super Four matches. The drama did not stop there, however, as Suryakumar Yadav and company won the championship once again. The Indian team had to rejoice without the trophy as it carried over into the post-match presentation.
Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the PCB and ACC, declined to present the trophy to the Indian team. Khalid Al Zarooni, the vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, was reportedly chosen to do the honors. However, Simon Doull said that India would not pick up the trophy until Pakistan had picked up their medals. Naqvi, who was on stage, departed the arena in the meanwhile.
Kapil Dev withdraws his judgment
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain of India offered his thoughts on the disputes and advised players to “stick to sports” in an interview with India Today.
“All I want to say is that it is your obligation and the responsibility of the media as a whole to look into the sports side of things instead of the political side. Yes, it is the duty of the media to provide all sides of the issue, but as a sportsman, I would prefer that we limit our discussion to sports. It will be a lot better,” he said.
Controversies also surrounded the Super Four and group stage matches since the Indian squad refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players after both games. During the toss, Suryakumar also refrained from shaking hands with Salman Agha. Haris Rauf’s strange gestures towards Indian supporters and Sahibzada Farhan’s contentious “gun” celebration during the Super Four match added to it.
Suryakumar Yadav, meanwhile, spoke out over India’s choice to pass on Naqvi during the final. He said that the players made the choice on the spot.