Asia Cup 2025: Why was the post-match presentation ceremony after IND vs PAK final delayed?

Indian Team. (Photo source: Getty Images)

Interestingly, the Indian players had to wait for a considerable amount of time to get their hands on the coveted Asia Cup title after beating Pakistan by five wickets in a pulsating final on Sunday, September 28.

When Rinku Singh hit the winning runs in the last over off Haris Rauf, the clock had touched 12 AM in India. However, more than one hour after the event, India didn’t get the opportunity to lift the title, which they won on the back of seven consecutive victories in the Asia Cup.

ACC chief and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had been waiting on stage for quite some time after the match had ended. The Indian players also waited for a considerable amount of time. However, the Pakistani players took a lot of time to emerge out of their dressing room.

Once Pakistan skipper Salman Agha led his team out to the field, he was met with boos from the spectators in attendance. The presentation ceremony finally started at around 1:15 AM (IST). Veteran commentator Simon Doull was the one having the honour of hosting the event.

Tilak Varma wins Player of the Match

Tilak Varma was in a race with Kuldeep Yadav to win the Player of the Match award. The latter bowled beautifully and picked up four wickets in as many overs, conceding just 30 runs. However, Tilak emerged victorious after scoring a gritty half-century under pressure. The Mumbai Indians batter anchored the innings and finished unbeaten on 69 off 53 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes.

Tilak’s knock was even more special because he had to weather the storm after India lost three quick wickets in four overs during their run-chase. In the end, India reached home with two balls and five wickets to spare. Apart from Tilak, experienced players Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33) played important knocks to orchestrate the victory for the Men in Blue.

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