India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy found a light-hearted way to celebrate the Men in Blue’s record ninth Asia Cup crown, adding his own touch of humor to an otherwise dramatic finale. Known for his quirky celebrations, the 34-year-old continued the tradition he started earlier this year after India’s Champions Trophy win, when he posed with a teacup and the silverware at the team hotel.
This time, however, the trophy itself was missing. In an unprecedented twist, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the trophy and medals after India refused to accept them from him, citing his role as Pakistan’s interior minister.
As a result, Indian players marked the moment by celebrating with an “invisible trophy,” sharing images on social media with trophy emojis. Joining the fun, Chakaravarthy posted pictures on X (formerly Twitter), including one where he posed with an empty cup in bed.
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Captioning it in his signature style, he wrote: “Akkha duniya ek taraf, aur mere India ek taraf. Jai Hind!!” The post quickly went viral, with fans lauding the spinner for keeping spirits high despite the off-field controversy.
” Akkha duniya ek taraf, aur mere india ek taraf ” 🇮🇳🙂
Jai hind !!! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/FmjhkPMUaf— Varun Chakaravarthy🇮🇳 (@chakaravarthy29) September 29, 2025
On the field, Chakaravarthy played a pivotal role in India’s unbeaten campaign, bagging seven wickets and forming a formidable spin trio alongside Kuldeep Yadav, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, and Axar Patel. Their combined efforts choked opposition batters and ensured India dominated throughout.
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The controversy around Naqvi’s actions, however, has left the BCCI fuming. The board has confirmed it will lodge a strong protest at the ICC conference in November, calling his behaviour a breach of protocol and sporting spirit. For the player,s though, the joy of victory and the bond of celebration mattered more than the missing silverware.
