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“It will haunt India…”: Shoaib Malik taunts Men in Blue for not collecting Asia Cup trophy

Aakash Saini

Indian players and Shoaib Malik [Source: @BCCI/x, @tapmadofficial/YouTube]Indian players and Shoaib Malik [Source: @BCCI/x, @tapmadofficial/YouTube]

Team India overpowered Pakistan in a nail-biting Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai. Chasing 147 runs for a win after a dramatic Pakistan batting collapse, Tilak Varma anchored the Indian run-chase alongside Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube.

However, in an unusual twist, the Indian players refused to collect their medals and the Asia Cup silverware on the winner’s podium, despite delaying the presentation ceremony by nearly an hour. As it turned out, Suryakumar Yadav and co. decided against collecting the trophy from PCB chief and current Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi citing heightened geopolitical tensions between the two neighbouring nations.

Shoaib Malik taunts Team India’s decision

Former Pakistan captain and all-rounder Shoaib Malik has taunted the Indian cricket team for their refusal in collecting the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from ACC chairman and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. While speaking on Tapmad after the high-octane final, Malik claimed that the decision taken by the ‘Men in Blue’ group will “haunt them” in a few years, citing they “worked so hard” in winning the tournament only to go home without a trophy.

Shoaib Malik said:

“Just look at how much pressure the players went through, how much heat they endured, how much hard work they put in. For what? To win the trophy, to win the tournament. And then, when they worked so hard, they didn’t even come to take the trophy. You see, today they may be celebrating this decision in their own way, but down the line, after a few years, this will haunt them. We won the trophy, we worked so hard, but we never collected it.”

Shoaib Malik also described India’s win as a “massive achievement” in a close game, and implied that by not collecting the trophy, the Indian players “missed out” on seizing the moment. He added:

“At the end of the day, they are athletes, they are sportsmen. A sportsman’s job is to come on the field, give your best shot, and that’s it. This was such a massive achievement, such a close match, and not collecting the trophy—it means missing out on the moment. It was a massive moment.”

In an Asia Cup marred with controversies, India and Pakistan captains also refused to shake hands and speak with rival commentators at the toss before the game.

After the final, Suryakumar Yadav headed into the winner’s podium with an imaginary cup to join his colleagues for a victorious photoshoot to cap the tournament.