ABD Slams India’s Stand on Asia Cup Presentation Row with Mohsin Naqvi

South African great AB de Villiers has weighed in on the controversy that overshadowed India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph, calling for a “clean separation” between cricket and geopolitics. Speaking on his weekly #360 show on YouTube, de Villiers addressed India’s refusal to accept the trophy from the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) President, which led to an awkward presentation ceremony.

Throughout the tournament, India–Pakistan tensions spilled over into on-field interactions, with minimal handshakes, heated exchanges, and even disputes over medals and silverware. De Villiers said such optics undermine the spirit of the game.

“Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sports. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is,” he said. “It was quite awkward there at the end… it puts the players in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see.”

Even as he criticized the political undertones, de Villiers praised India’s performance. “India are looking really, really strong heading into the T20 World Cup. They’ve got a lot of talent and they play the big moments well,” he noted.

By urging focus back on cricket, de Villiers framed the episode as an unnecessary distraction from India’s dominant run and reminded fans that the game should be celebrated on its own merit.