As the 2025 edition approaches, we revisit the stormy flashpoints that made headlines beyond the boundary
The Asia Cup 2025 is nearly upon us. From September 9 to 28, Dubai and Abu Dhabi will host the eight-team tournament, with India, PAK, UAE, and Oman grouped together in Group A. The highly anticipated IND-PAK showdown is scheduled for September 14 in Dubai, a fixture that has already sparked excitement among cricket fans. Suryakumar Yadav will captain India, with Shubman Gill as vice-captain, as they seek to defend the title they secured in 2023.
However, the Asia Cup has rarely been just about elegant cover drives and precise yorkers. It has, at times, descended into heated disputes, controversial umpiring, and strange lapses. Here, we revisit five of the most contentious moments in its history.
India and PAK’s rivalry has rarely lacked drama. In the 2010 Asia Cup, India was chasing 268 when Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal clashed during the drinks break.
Credit: ESPN
Akmal had made a vociferous appeal for a catch that Gambhir insisted was baseless. Words were exchanged, tempers flared, and it required MS Dhoni to calm Gambhir down physically. India went on to win, but the incident became a symbol of just how combustible Indo-Pak ties can be in cricket.
The same edition saw another flashpoint- Harbhajan Singh v Shoaib Akhtar. In the 47th over, Harbhajan hit a six off Shoaib, sparking a war of words. As India closed in on victory, Harbhajan made a provocative gesture towards the Rawalpindi Express.
Credit: India Today
Shoaib later admitted he was so incensed that he went to Harbhajan’s hotel, ready for a fight. India’s five-wicket win was overshadowed by this fiery subplot, a reminder that emotions can run hotter than the floodlights.
Social media intensified tensions in 2016 when a doctored image of Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed holding MS Dhoni’s severed head appeared online ahead of the Asia Cup final. The image went viral, provoking outrage in India and damaging relations between the two fanbases.
Credit: Indian Express
Ravi Shastri, then India’s coach, dismissed the controversy, maintaining that the team’s focus was solely on cricket. India quietened the outcry with an eight-wicket victory in the final, but the image remains one of the most distasteful episodes in tournament history.
MS Dhoni’s hallmark was his composure. However, he lost his temper during the 2016 Asia Cup after a controversial umpiring decision against PAK's Khurram Manzoor.
Credit: Times Now
Dhoni claimed a catch behind, but umpire Sharfuddoula Ibn Shahid ruled it not out, despite replays showing the ball brushing Manzoor’s gloves. India won the match comfortably, yet Dhoni’s post-match criticism of poor officiating highlighted how the Asia Cup has often been marred by umpiring disputes.
Errors have also ignited controversy. In 2004, PAK fast bowler Mohammad Sami delivered an infamous 17-ball over against Bangladesh — including seven wides and four no-balls.
Credit: Zee News
What should have been a standard six-ball over turned into a record-breaking embarrassment. PAK still won the match, but Sami’s over became a symbol for cricketing chaos, an incident replayed whenever discussions of errant bowling arise.
