2025: Top 5 biggest controversies in international cricket

The year 2025 saw major events like the Champions Trophy, the World Test Championship final, and the Asia Cup. The Ashes series also dominated headlines in the final weeks of the year. From the India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 to the Women's ODI World Cup 2025, several controversial moments unfolded. A major controversy also erupted after the conclusion of IPL 2025. Before we step into the new year, let's take a look at the five biggest controversies that rocked the world of cricket this year.

1. Stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

In the IPL 2025 final, RCB defeated Punjab Kings by 6 runs to win the trophy for the first time. A ​​celebration was planned at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to commemorate the team's victory. A large number of fans gathered outside the stadium, but the massive crowd led to a stampede, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and injuries to approximately 30 others. Following this incident, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has not been permitted to host any competitive matches.

2. No handshake controversy

In the 2025 Asia Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other three times. When they met for the first time on September 14th, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistani captain Salman Agha during the toss. After winning the match, the Indian team went straight to the dressing room and did not come out to shake hands with the Pakistani players. This refusal to shake hands continued in the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 and other subsequent multilateral tournaments.

3. Team India refused to go to Pakistan

Pakistan hosted the Champions Trophy in 2025, but just weeks before the tournament began, questions arose about whether the Indian team would travel to Pakistan to participate. This issue sparked considerable debate on social media. Eventually, an agreement was reached between the BCCI and the PCB that India's matches would be played at neutral venues. This agreement also included a condition that the Pakistani team would not travel to India for future multilateral events held there. Consequently, matches between the two teams have been played at neutral venues in recent times.

4. Haris Rauf's fighter jet gesture

During the Asia Cup, Haris Rauf was the subject of much discussion due to his 6-0 gesture and his fighter jet downing celebration. Haris's 6-0 gesture was a reference to the Pakistani army's claim that it had shot down six Indian fighter jets during Operation Sindoor without losing a single one of its own.

5. Mohsin Naqvi ran away with the trophy

In the Asia Cup 2025 final, India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets. However, the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from PCB and ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. This caused the presentation ceremony to be delayed by an hour and a half. Ultimately, Naqvi remained adamant and reportedly left with the trophy. The Indian team has still not received the trophy, which is reportedly still in Mohsin Naqvi's possession.

Also Read: Pakistan has announced squad for the T20 series against Sri Lanka