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ISLAMABAD: The Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India has become the biggest television event in Pakistan&rsquo;s history, with PTV Sports recording unprecedented viewership ratings.&nbsp;Official data released Wednesday showed that 80&ndash;100 million people tuned in to the live telecast, with ratings peaking at 42%, the highest ever for any program in the country. The record shattered the previous benchmark of 32% set by ARY Digital&rsquo;s hit drama Meray Paas Tum Ho.&nbsp;&ldquo;This performance confirms the Asia Cup final was not only a sporting triumph but also the biggest television event in Pakistan&rsquo;s broadcast history,&rdquo; said Pakistan Television Corporation Manager Corporate Research Arshad Hussain. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/6d2bbf0b-5051-4708-9759-a38dffba6c21-asia cup whatzapp image.jpg" alt="asia cup whatzapp image.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Source-PTV</figcaption></figure> The match carried special significance as it marked the first-ever Asia Cup final between Pakistan and India, intensifying interest on both sides of the border. Cricket has long dominated TV viewership in Pakistan, but never before had a sports event surpassed the nation&rsquo;s top-rated drama serials.&nbsp;The milestone underlines cricket&rsquo;s unrivaled grip on Pakistani audiences and cements PTV Sports&rsquo; place as the home of historic live broadcasts.

Film & TV

The state broadcaster made history as the Asia Cup 2025 final between Pakistan and India drew 80–100 million viewers, hitting a record 42% peak rating and surpassing all previous television viewership benchmarks in Pakistan.

PTV Sports sets historic record with Asia Cup final broadcast

Syed Ahmed Raza

ISLAMABAD: An arbitration may take place in case the Indian cricket team formally asks for the Asia Cup Trophy after refusing to accept it on Sunday night at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The team had decided not to accept the trophy from&nbsp;Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan&rsquo;s cricket board chief and the country&#39;s interior minister. The two South Asian neighbors fought a brief but intense war in May after India attacked Pakistan, accusing it of orchestrating a terror attack on its territory. Their cricket teams met three times amid visible tensions among players and spectators. &ldquo;I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,&rdquo; broadcaster Simon Doull caught many by surprise when he first broke the news during a live coverage of the Pakistan-India match.&nbsp;&nbsp;Indian team&rsquo;s stand and BCCI&rsquo;s protestIndian Team captain Suryakumar Yadav said the decision not to accept the trophy was made collectively on the field and was not directed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or political authorities. Naqvi had walked away with the trophy after waiting for an hour to deliver it to the Indian team, which defeated Pakistan in the final match.&nbsp;&ldquo;This is something I&rsquo;ve never seen in cricket&mdash;a champion team being denied a trophy,&rdquo; Yadav told reporters. &ldquo;But our real trophies are the 14 players and the support staff who got us here. That&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ll take home tonight,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Secretary Devajit Saikia congratulated the team and assured them&nbsp;that the board would lodge a formal complaint to get the trophy.&nbsp;&ldquo;There is an ICC conference scheduled in Dubai this November, and we will launch a very serious and strong protest against the actions of the ACC Chairman,&rdquo; Saikia said.&nbsp;&ldquo;We cannot accept a trophy from someone who represents a nation currently at odds with ours. But that does not mean the gentleman is entitled to walk away with the trophy and medals meant for our team. That is completely unacceptable.&rdquo;&nbsp;Naqvi&rsquo;s befitting response to ModiSoon after India defeated Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the cricket victory to the military operation against Pakistan. &quot;Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same &ndash; India wins! Congrats to our cricketers,&rdquo; Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.&nbsp;Mohsin Naqvi responded sharply, saying, &ldquo;If war is your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan&rsquo;s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.&rdquo;&nbsp;What do the rules say?A senior official familiar with ICC procedures noted, &ldquo;This is unprecedented in cricket. Unless the ACC clarifies its position, the matter could escalate further at the ICC level.&rdquo;&nbsp;With no formal statement yet from the ACC or ICC, the fate of the 2025 Asia Cup trophy remains uncertain. Whether it will eventually be handed to India or withheld pending diplomatic and administrative resolution remains to be seen.&nbsp;For now, cricket&rsquo;s biggest regional prize sits unclaimed, a symbol of deeper tensions between the two countries both on and off the field.

Cricket

Team India's refusal to collect the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi leaves its fate unclear, with the ACC yet to confirm its next steps.

What happens to the Asia Cup trophy now?

India faced backlash after skipping the Asia Cup trophy presentation, sparking criticism of politicizing cricket, disrespecting the Asian Cricket Council, and showing poor sportsmanship amid tensions linked to ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.

Articles tagged with "Asia Cup Final"

PTV Sports sets historic record with Asia Cup final broadcast

What happens to the Asia Cup trophy now?

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