Who gave the idea of celebrating Asia Cup win without trophy? Varun Chakaravarthy answers

India played fabulous cricket throughout the 2025 Asia Cup and did something unique after beating Pakistan in a thrilling final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 28. The Men in Blue celebrated the triumph without the trophy or the winning medals after refusing to accept the silverware from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi. India requested that the trophy be handed to them by a different official, but that was turned down.

The Indian players remained on the field, even as the officials took an exit. They made their way towards the podium, where captain Suryakumar Yadav mimicked a trophy lift. He even recreated Rohit Sharma’s famous celebration after the T20 World Cup win in 2024.

Speaking at the CEAT Awards on Tuesday, October 7, Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy revealed that the impromptu celebration was the brainchild of Arshdeep Singh.

“It was actually Arshdeep’s idea. We were waiting for the trophy, but we all know how that turned out,” Varun said.

“I was standing there, hoping the cup would show up — we were all waiting. But the only cup next to me was a coffee cup,” he added with a laugh.

Indian wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who was also present at the event, said that it was strange to celebrate without the trophy. However, the fantastic team spirit among the players made up for the trophy’s absence.

“It was a bit strange, celebrating without the trophy. But we have a very positive environment in our dressing room. Even if we don’t have anything, we celebrate like we have everything. That’s exactly what we did,” the wicketkeeper-batter said.

Several players went on to take a dig at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials as they posted pictures with the trophy emoji instead of the actual silverware. While India were denied what was rightfully theirs, it doesn’t change the fact that they are now a record-extending nine-time Asia Cup winners.