Asia Cup Rising Stars Final Faces Trophy Tension

The ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 is shaping up to deliver a thrilling finale, but sources indicate that the championship match could also be overshadowed by the same trophy dispute that marred the senior men’s final earlier this year.

The Rising Stars tournament, which was once known as the Emerging Asia Cup, is currently being held at the West End International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Eight teams are showcasing future regional talent, and the competitive matches within the two teams are gaining momentum for the knockout round.

Group A consists of Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A, and Hong Kong. Pakistan Shaheens, India A, the UAE, and Oman are in group B. Since several closely contested games have already been played, the tournament provides a clear preview of the upcoming generation of Asian cricket.

The final will be played on November 23 and will be a big event, particularly with the ACC President and PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, expected to be the chief guest. His presence naturally revives memories of the senior Asia Cup closing ceremony, where a significant controversy unfolded.

Given the early form of the squads, a Pakistan Shaheens vs India A showdown remains a strong possibility. The rivalry itself heightens the stakes, but it also brings along the unresolved tensions from September. In the same incident, India did not accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi and did not even participate in the closing ceremony, which caused a lot of controversy.

The trophy has since stayed in the hands of the ACC, awaiting a formal delivery should India consent to receive it at a later event. The issue still lingers, and officials fear the Rising Stars final could be affected by the same impasse if similar circumstances arise.

Adding to the off-field strain is India’s continued refusal to engage in handshakes with Pakistani teams, a pattern that started during the senior Asia Cup and has now spread across multiple tournaments. 

This was the same behaviour seen during the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. The latest incident was in Doha on Sunday, where, despite the customary handshake during the toss, India skipper Jitesh Sharma and Pakistan Shaheens skipper Irfan Niazi did not shake hands.

At the same time, despite these tensions, action on the field has remained very competitive. Pakistan Shaheens also produced one of the best performances in this tournament, crushing India A by eight wickets as they went ahead to win Group B and thereby reach the semifinals.

Their convincing performance has helped instill confidence in the camp and increase expectations of a possible high-stakes rematch in the final.