The year 2025, apart from a few hiccups, was mostly one of the most successful years of Indian cricket as, in the span of 12 months, India won two major ICC trophies in the form of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. India also successfully defended their Asia Cup title, adding a cherry on the top of their already successful calendar year. However, the journey during all these was not a smooth one as Indian cricket was seen standing face to face with multiple controversial moments in the year. In this article, we will look at some such events that made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Top controversial moments of the Indian cricket team in 2025:
No-handshake row with Pakistan
Probably one of the most controversial moments of Indian cricket in 2025 came during their Asia Cup 2025 campaign when they refused to shake hands with Pakistan during all the three matches they played with each other during the event. The row started when Indian skipper Suryakuamr refused to shake hands with Pakistani skipper Slaman Aga during the toss for their group-stage match and took new heights when the Indian side, after winning the match, went back straight to their dressing room without acknowledging their opponents.
The row continued when, during their Super 4 and final match — both of which India won — they refused to extend greetings towards the neighbours. Skipper Surya said that the decision was taken in wake of the Pehalgam terror attack earlier in the year where terrorists killed 22 innocent civilians.
The tension continued during the ICC 2025 Women’s World Cup 2025 when, once again, the Indian team refused to extend greetings to the Pakistani side after their group-stage match in Colombo.
Asia Cup Trophy snub
If you think the no-handshake row was the only controversial moment of the Asia Cup, you have to guess again, as India’s constant refusal to shake hands with anyone related to the Pakistani team continued even after the final match when they refused to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi despite Naqvi waiting to present it on the stage. Later, Naqvi, in a fit of anger, took the trophy with him and locked it in ACC’s office in Dubai where it currently resides as the winners, the Indian side, are still waiting to take possession of the trophy to date.
RCB's historic win ends in tragedy
One of the biggest cricket events of Indian cricket, i.e., Indian Premier League 2025, lit up to another level when, after 17 years of heartbeats, Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore finally beat Punjab Kings in the final to lift the trophy. The moment was emotional for fans and players alike as almost all those supporting the team were in tears after the match. However, the celebration of the big win resulted in one of the most controversial moments of the year when an unfortunate stampede caused by the huge gathering in front of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium claimed the lives of 11 fans. While the tragedy shook everyone outside the stadium, the team continued their celebration behind closed doors of Chinnaswamy, raising the question of the team’s accountability towards the fans, which many internet users posted on social media platforms after the incident.
War of words with Proteas
While India and South Africa share a warm relationship with each other in the cricketing world, the recent South Africa tour of India was overshadowed by some controversial moments made by both sides. The first incident took place during the second Test between the two sides in Guwahati when Proteas coach Shukri Conrad was asked why South Africa kept batting despite already having a big lead in the second innings, to which the coach replied they wanted to make the Indian team “grovel”. A statement that was not well received by cricket fans and experts alike, and some even asked Conrad to apologise.
The second incident took place during the second ODI between the two sides when Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah was heard referring to South African skipper Temba Bavuma as “Bauna” during a discussion on whether to take an LBW review against him or not. The behaviour was once again called out by fans on the internet who called such behaviour from one of the most respected Indian players uncalled for.
While neither Conrad nor Bumrah faced any consequence for their words, it has to be understood that there has to be some behind-the-door tension in the two squads over the statements.
India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan
One of the earliest controversial moments of the year came ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, when India refused to travel to Pakistan for the event despite Pakistan being the host of the tournament. After much mediating, the ICC found a middle ground for both teams, saying neither side will travel to each other’s country till 2026 and any scheduled event between the two teams will be played at a neutral venue during ICC events.
India played all their matches in Dubai and were crowned eventual champions. While India’s cricketing prowess was hailed, many claimed that India won because of having the advantage of playing all their matches on the same ground.