Former India cricket captain Kapil Dev expressed his views on the need to separate cricket from politics during the Asia Cup controversy. India rejected orders from Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and returned the Asia Cup. In the final of the 2025 Asia Cup, India secured a victory over Pakistan by five wickets on September 28, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The controversy arose when the presentation ceremony was delayed because Indian players declined to accept awards from Naqvi, who is the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council. India’s captain Rohit Sharma celebrated the win by lifting the trophy on the field with his teammates.
In an interview with India Today, Dev emphasized, “It is the duty of players and the media to concentrate on sports rather than politics. The media has a role in bringing information to light, but as an athlete, I prefer cricket to remain just cricket. That would be much better.” Furthermore, Pakistan’s pacer Haris Rauf faced a 30% fine on his match fee for his ‘plane crash’ gesture during a wicket celebration in the Super Four match. Additionally, Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his ‘gunshot’ celebration after scoring fifty runs, citing it as part of his culture.
Kapil Dev also commented on the current state of Pakistan cricket, stating that it lacks the same level of talent as in the past, referencing legends like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, and lamenting that today’s players do not exhibit a fraction of that skill. India won the 2025 Asia Cup final against Pakistan by successfully chasing the target with two balls remaining, marking their fifth title.
