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Stylish wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson gave a positive spin to India being denied the opportunity to lift the Asia Cup trophy after Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi left with the prized accolade.
It has been 10 days since India defeated Pakistan in Dubai after a nerve-jangling final and endured an hour-long interlude to get their hands on the coveted title. The night that was meant to conclude with India revelling in the ninth Asia Cup success ended up becoming a source of controversy. India refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's Minister for Interior, and pandemonium ensued in the post-match presentation. In response to India's decision, an official removed the Asia Cup trophy from its place on a raised dais and carried it off the ground without explanation. Despite the imbroglio, India found a way to celebrate, with captain Suryakumar Yadav mimicking his predecessor, Rohit Sharma's slow walk after the T20 World Cup final in 2024, and lifting the imaginary trophy alongside his teammates. Samson admitted that the situation felt "strange" but dwelt on the positive aspect of it. "It was a bit strange, but we actually have a very positive environment in our dressing room. Even if we don't have anything, we have to celebrate that we have everything in our hands. So actually that's what we did," Samson said during an event in Mumbai. After more than a week, there is no clarity about the timeline for India to receive the trophy and the winner's medal. Last week, after the ACC meeting, various reports surfaced which claimed that Naqvi had apologised to the BCCI for the chaos that unfolded after the final. However, Naqvi had categorically denied the reports and placed an out-of-the-way condition about returning the trophy to the title winners. A defiant Naqvi kept the condition: if India "truly" wanted the trophy, they could come to the ACC office to collect it from him. (ANI)
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