AB de Villiers slams Asia Cup post-match chaos: 'Politics should stay aside, sport must be celebrated'

South Africa cricket legend AB de Villiers criticised India's refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC President, urging a clear separation of sports and geopolitics, calling the ceremony awkward. He praised India's strong performance and composure throughout the tournament, highlighting Tilak Varma's crucial innings in their triumph.

Team India and Asia Cup trophy (Photos: AP)

NEW DELHI: South African cricket legend AB de Villiers has weighed in on the chaotic scenes that overshadowed India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph, urging a clear separation between sports and geopolitics. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Speaking on his weekly YouTube show #360, de Villiers addressed India’s refusal to accept the trophy from the Asia Cricket Council President and the awkward ceremony that followed.

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De Villiers was blunt about the optics of the presentation. “Team India sort of weren’t happy with who was handing out the trophy. I don’t feel that belongs in sports. Politics should stay aside. Sport is one thing, and it should be celebrated for what it is. Quite sad to see that, but hopefully they sort things out in the future. It does put the sport, the players, the sportsmen, the cricketers in a very tough position, and that’s what I hate to see. It was quite awkward there at the end,” he said. ABD stressed that off-field hostilities should never overshadow the game. By refusing to conflate the trophy ceremony with diplomacy, he framed the incident as an avoidable distraction that diverted attention from India’s on-field brilliance. Even as he criticised the controversy, de Villiers praised India’s performance throughout the tournament. “Let us focus on what’s most important — the cricket itself. India are looking really, really strong. Building up to that T20 World Cup… they’ve got a lot of talent, and they play the big moments well. So fantastic,” he said.

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Highlighting the final, ABD called it “nail-biting” as India chased 147, and singled out Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 off 53 balls. “That’s what I love about players like that. They are adaptable to different situations and different conditions,” he said, praising India’s composure under pressure. De Villiers’ comments strike a balance between acknowledging the post-match turmoil and celebrating cricketing excellence.

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