Intriguingly, despite defeating Pakistan by five wickets in a thrilling final on Sunday, September 28, the Indian players had to wait a long time to claim the coveted Asia Cup championship.
It was 12 AM in India when Rinku Singh struck the final over off Haris Rauf with the winning runs.
However, India was unable to lift the crown, which they had won after seven straight Asia Cup triumphs, more than an hour after the event.
After the game was over, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB and the head of the ACC, had been waiting on stage for a while. Additionally, the Indian players waited for a long period. But it took a long time for the Pakistani players to come out of their locker room.
The fans in attendance jeered Pakistan captain Salman Agha as soon as he led his team onto the pitch. At approximately 1:15 AM (IST), the presenting ceremony finally began. It was the honour of veteran pundit Simon Doull to host the occasion.
Tilak Varma, meanwhile, went on to win Player of the Match. He and Kuldeep Yadav were competing for the prize. The latter bowled brilliantly, giving up just 30 runs while taking four wickets in a row. But Tilak prevailed after achieving a tough half-century under duress. With three fours and four sixes, the Mumbai Indians batsman led the innings and ended undefeated at 69 off 53 balls.
The fact that Tilak had to weather the storm after India lost three rapid wickets in four overs during their run-chase made his knock even more memorable. With two balls and five wickets remaining, India eventually made it home. In addition to Tilak, seasoned players Shivam Dube (33) and Sanju Samson (24) made crucial knocks to help the Men in Blue win.
India declines to accept Mohsin Naqvi’s Asia Cup trophy.
But before India could win the Asia Cup, the presenting ceremony was tragically cut short. The Indian fans were eager to see their chosen team win the championship after the individual prizes were presented and congratulations were given to Pakistan. Doull did, however, declare that India has no intention of winning the Asia Cup.
“The ACC has notified me that the Indian cricket team will not be picking up their awards this evening. Thus, the post-match presentation is over,” Doull said.
India has taken yet another unusual action by declining to accept the award from Pakistani minister and chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Mohsin Naqvi, after declining to shake hands with the Pakistani players during the competition.
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