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By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium Cricket is often lauded for its uncertainty and exciting endings. But never have I witnessed a more inglorious ending to a tournament, with the winning team not receiving their trophy! India refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council President, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, and a Pakistan minister, who had reportedly made a few inflammatory remarks on India following the recent political war between both the finalists. Since Naqvi was not willing to let someone else from the presentation party handover the trophy to Team India, it was a funny ending to the event with the final presentation ceremony delayed by over an hour. Ultimately Naqvi stuck to his stance of my way or no way.   Indian team celebrate the Asia Cup win without the trophy. Photo: ACC A press conference past 1am Never before had journalists to wait for nearly three hours after a match for the post-match press conference,  ...

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium Sachin Tendulkar fan Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, also known as Sudhir Gautam, is always the star attraction among the spectators. Having met him at different venues around the world, he recognised this reporter easily. Experience has taught him how to pose for a photograph, and he was seen suggesting to people how to get a good selfie. Earlier he used to paint himself from head to toe in the tricolour, but this time he was wearing a tight-fitting dress resembling full-body paint. There was a time he used to paint his body on the previous day of a match and skip sleep that night to ensure the paint remained intact. Had he attempted to paint his body for this tournament, the sweat from the heat and humidity would have staged a full-on rebellion against the paint.   Tendulkar fan with yours sincerely   When this reporter had met him at Kensington Oval in Barbados during the 2024 T20 World Cup, he showed me how he folds the huge Ind...

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium The India-Sri Lanka match was cricket’s retort to all those who belittled it, calling it inconsequential, irrelevant, and a meaningless clash, since Sri Lanka was already out of the tournament and India was through to the final. This contest’s result, decided through a super over, turned out to be the best match of the Asia Cup 2025. When two teams contest fiercely until the last ball and end up in a tie, one truly witnesses the splendour of this game.   Super over turns super easy over   The Sri Lankans deserve a thumbs up for lifting their game, though the end result proved that India are the kings under pressure. This is why they could convert the super over into a super easy over. To bowl a classic super over, one needs the skill to focus and stay calm. Arshdeep Singh possesses these two traits, a lot of that could be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.   Arshdeep Singh... calm and...

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium Now that it will be an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final on Sunday, the media here has become extremely busy. An India-Bangladesh final would have been only about reporting what happened on the day of the final. That will not be the case ne. Discussions on who will lift the Asia Cup are at their peak. Many radio stations are running campaigns to predict the winner and who will be the hero of the match. Attractive prizes are on offer for those who can predict correctly. Though Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav has said that India-Pakistan matches are no longer a rivalry, with India dominating in their tally of victories, no contest generates more off-field stories than this clash. There was a time when Pakistan fans used to say that “if it is Friday, it will be Pakistan’s day.” That was during the Sharjah matches in the 80s and 90s. Sunday is being seen as a neutral day at a neutral venue. The Sunday final can be called the ultimate stress-te...

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium After escaping being caught and bowled on 40 by Axar Patel, Saif Hassan was dropped three more times on 60, 65 and 69, making him the most eligible person to have immediately purchased the $1 million Dubai Duty Free raffle. Also, maybe before going out to bat, he seemed to have purchased a drop protection insurance!   Saif Hassan  goes for one of his mighty hits while riding his luck. Photo: ACC When this reporter asked Varun Chakravarthy during the post-match press conference on their fielding coach’s reaction after having    dropped so many catches, and whether the team felt that even if catches were dropped, their bowling was strong enough to win matches, Chakravarthy said: “It is a compliment that we can take (on being strong in bowling), but this team has been picked till the next World Cup, so we have to pick up our fielding. Surely the fielding coach will have a lot to say now because in the last match he di...

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium Most cricket fans here, despite their patriotic feelings, are not appreciative of any of the acts, starting from no handshakes to the actions of players with a political connotation. In the UAE, India and Pakistan cricketers play together for various clubs and even live together in shared accommodation. Many Pakistanis and Indians are coaches, and they train youngsters from both countries. A Pakistan fan said in a video : “We find it all very funny, as in labour camps here you can see Indians and Pakistanis eating food from the same plate. I wish this tournament ends quickly without creating hatred between each other.”   Sahibzada Farhan's bat-as-gun style celebration. Photo: X Off day was not an off for the media   Monday was the first no-play day of the tightly scheduled Asia Cup 2025. This time was used by players to recover, and some made visits to their friends or relatives living in Dubai. Those who benefitted the ...