Former South African cricket captain AB de Villiers has strongly criticised the Indian cricket team for its negative behaviour and bringing politics into the game.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, de Villiers took aim at the Indian team for refusing to accept the Asia Cup trophy from the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi.

The former South African captain said in his video: “The Indian team was unhappy about who was presenting the trophy. In my opinion, this has no place in the game. Politics should be kept aside. Sport is sport, and it should be celebrated as such.”

He added, “I felt sad to see that, but I hope things improve in the future. It was a very difficult situation for the game, for the players, and for the cricketers. I didn’t like what I saw. It became quite an uncomfortable ending.”

The situation sparked controversy at the conclusion of the Asia Cup 2025, when the Indian team reportedly refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.

Indian players were unwilling to receive the Asia Cup trophy from the hands of the PCB chairman.