Many people criticized legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers for what he said about the trophy presentation at the Asia Cup 2025 final.
AB de Villiers, a famous South African cricket player, got a lot of flak for his comments on the trophy presentation at the Asia Cup 2025 final. India won the Asia Cup by beating Pakistan by five wickets, but the team led by Suryakumar Yadav refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). De Villiers didn’t agree with India’s choice and said that politics shouldn’t be mixed with sports.
“Team India wasn’t really happy with who gave them the trophy. That’s not something I think should be in sports. Politics should stay out of it,” he said.
“Sport is one thing, and we should celebrate it for what it is. It’s sad to see that, but I hope they can work things out in the future. I really don’t like to see that it puts the sport, the players, the sportsmen, and the cricketers in a very tough spot. It was really awkward there at the end,” he said.
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But a lot of fans on social media didn’t like what he said, and the South African legend was criticized for it.
During the Asia Cup, the political tensions between India and Pakistan were more important than cricket. India went on to win the title without losing. But what really got people talking on social media was how there were no handshakes or other gestures on the field.
De Villiers did, however, praise India’s performance in the tournament, as they won the title without losing a single game.
“Let’s put the cricket first and foremost. India looks very, very strong. Getting ready for the big T20 World Cup. Keep in mind that it’s not too far away. They seem to have a lot of talent, and they do well in the big moments. Really great to watch,“ De Villiers said.
