India – Pakistan relationship affecting the Cricket also,India vs Pakistan on-field drama & No Ro-Ko, still Asia best Team India

By Rahul Das …. Part 2

The 2025 Asia Cup is likely to be remembered not so much for the cricket, but for the intense political tension and on-field hostility that took the India-Pakistan rivalry to a new level. From provocative military symbolism to a strange winners’ ceremony without a trophy, the tournament became a centre of controversy.The most talked-about moment came during the high-pressure Super four match. As Indian fans repeatedly chanted “Kohli-Kohli,” Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf turned towards the crowd and made a gesture suggesting a fighter jet crashing.

Many viewers saw the act as a political message, linking it to disputed claims around “Operation Sindoor”.In the final, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah delivered the ultimate “silent” reply. After clean-bowling Rauf with a searing yorker to seal the tail, Bumrah mimicked the same “dipping plane” gesture with a wry smile.The trophy fiascoOne of the strangest moments in cricket history unfolded after the 2025 Asia Cup final. Even though India beat Pakistan by five wickets, the winning team never lifted the trophy. The Indian side, led by Suryakumar Yadav, reportedly chose not to accept the trophy or medals from ACC President and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. The decision was linked to Naqvi’s controversial social media posts and his role as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.

After a delay of nearly 90 minutes, Naqvi is said to have ordered the trophy to be taken away from the stadium. Videos later showed the silverware being carried off as Indian players remained on the field, visibly stunned by the unusual turn of events.

A culmination for India Women, a beginning for India’s women

The World Cup victory of Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, built on decades of effort, will hopefully spark an unstoppable transformation.As India lifted their first World Cup trophy under a shower of golden confetti a week ago, cheered on by nearly 40,000 at the packed DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the magnitude of their achievement began to reverberate across a country that had never before celebrated its women cricketers quite like this.

It is too soon to assess the impact of what happened last Sunday but the early signs are significant. The 2025 Women’s World Cup final was streamed by 185 million viewers in India, and watched on TV by 92 million, equalling the corresponding viewership of India’s victory in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup final. If a fraction of that number is inspired to action, the impact could be enormous.In Chennai, 85-year old Vijaya Subramanian, a cricket lover since she was 11, was in tears at midnight on November 3. “I have witnessed all sporting glories in my lifetime and I want to say this is just the beginning for women’s cricket in India. My advice to all young parents would be not to differentiate between boys and girls. Times have changed; today’s women stand shoulder to shoulder with men in the field. Having won the World Cup, times will get better, won’t it?”In Bengaluru, five-year old Akshara picked up a plastic bat the next morning, mimicking Jemimah Rodrigues’ sweeps, and her cousin Swara replayed clips of diving catches on loop. Akshara’s mother, Shweta, called up a few academies the same day, only to be told to wait until her daughter turned seven.

( Contd…)