The controversy over India not receiving the Asia Cup trophy has now spilled over to social media, drawing sharp criticism from fans worldwide. Following the final, Indian cricketers resorted to sharing photos with an imaginary trophy after being denied the original.
Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill posted a photo on social media in which they were seen posing with a fake Asia Cup trophy. The images quickly went viral, prompting fans to mock and criticize the team, saying that such actions could not replace the real trophy and questioning what message the players were trying to send.
The incident began when the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi. As a result, the trophy was withdrawn from the ground. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially informed the ACC about the refusal, leading to the unprecedented move that stunned cricket fans and experts, who called it a violation of sportsmanship.
After the final, Indian captain Surya Yadav faced tough questions from journalists regarding repeated violations of sportsmanship during the tournament. However, instead of giving direct answers, he dodged most of the queries.
During the press conference, Yadav remarked that in his career, he had never seen a situation where a winning team was not awarded the trophy. Instead of showing embarrassment, he expressed grievance, saying, “Our team played good cricket throughout the Asia Cup, but the trophy was not given to us. Still, we have felt the trophy even if it wasn’t handed over.”
