The 2025 Asia Cup will forever remain infamous due to the political undercurrents surrounding the tournament, which continue to dominate headlines even after its conclusion. But amid the storm, a few sane voices continue to vouch for neutrality, with former Indian captain Kapil Dev also stepping in and calling on India’s cricketers to rise above politics and let their game speak for itself.
Speaking to India Today, Kapil Dev, who famously led India to their maiden cricketing trophy with the World Cup title in 1983, addressed the series of controversies sparked by Indian players throughout the event, from refusing handshakes with Pakistani counterparts to rejecting the Asia Cup trophy because it was to be presented by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.
“Shaking hands is not a big thing. You didn’t shake hands; it does not matter. You have also announced that you don’t want to take the trophy from that man. That’s also fine,” Dev remarked. “But you can’t linger on with this type of thing. You have to finish, you have to move on. Let the government do that job, let the politicians do that job.”
The legendary all-rounder stressed that while it is natural for players to be patriotic, they have a greater responsibility to uphold the spirit of sport. “As a sportsman, I would like to see that we stick to sports. It will be much better,” he added, also urging the media to avoid fanning political flames around cricket.
The entire 2025 Asia Cup was overshadowed by repeated confrontations between Pakistan and India. The much-discussed handshake snub occurred in all three Pakistan-India encounters, while the final in Dubai descended into further controversy when India declined to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, delaying the ceremony by over 90 minutes.
Players from both sides have already been fined by the ICC for violating sporting rules, but the issue isn’t likely to die down anytime soon.
Kapil Dev’s comments serve as a reminder that cricket has historically acted as a bridge between the two nations. However, this year’s tournament saw the spirit of the game take a back seat to political tensions. Whether this discord will end in time or has become the new norm remains to be seen.