Top 5 most controversial moments of World cricket in 2025

World cricket saw several controversial moments in 2025, adding to the excitement and ecstasy.

International cricket in 2025 turned out to be a mixed bag, with players and teams having to bear the brunt of controversies that made headlines. The top teams, India, Australia, and England, played throughout the year and grabbed a lot of headlines.

Meanwhile, in 2025, three matches played between India and Pakistan had political implications, leading to the sport being viewed from a different perspective, given the match results and post-match events.

India dominated white-ball cricket while Australia dominated Test cricket, winning six out of the seven Test matches they played this year, including three in the ongoing Ashes series. The year had its fair share of controversies in various parts of the world.

In this article, we will take a look at the top five controversies in world cricket in 2025.

5. Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan’s controversial celebrations

In the Super 4 game between India and Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup, Pakistan cricketers Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf made controversial gestures that left the BCCI and the Indian players fuming and agitated.

While batting, Farhan came up with gunshot celebrations, while Rauf first had an altercation with the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and then made unnecessary gestures towards a section of Indian fans near the boundary. The BCCI complained against both cricketers to the ICC, and both were sanctioned.

The ICC fined Rauf 30% of his match fee and handed him a two-match ban for his “ jet-crash and 6-0 gestures”.

4. No-Handshake controversy in the Asia Cup 2025

India and Pakistan played three games in the Asia Cup 2025, including the final. India defeated Pakistan in all three games. However, the Indian players denied shaking hands with their counterparts, and the BCCI also backed their decision.

This move from the Indian team left the Pakistan cricket team, and several former Pakistan players agitated. They even said that India disrespected the spirit of the game by not shaking hands with the Pakistani players. However, the BCCI and the Indian players weren’t too bothered by the criticism.

The Indian players took the conscious decision as a sign of protest against Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year that took the lives of 26 innocent civilians.

3. Asia Cup 2025 Trophy Snub by Mohsin Naqvi

In a surprising move, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi did not present the Asia Cup 2025 trophy to the winning Indian team after the final in Dubai. India won the final by five wickets. They defeated Pakistan for the third time in this tournament.

Meanwhile, the Indian players denied taking the trophy from Naqvi and the PCB chief. To avenge his disrespect from the Indian team, locked the trophy in the ACC office in Dubai.

According to reports, the trophy is locked in the Dubai office, and the BCCI is taking the necessary steps to ensure that it is sent to the winning Indian team.

2. Ben Stokes – Ravindra Jadeja handshakegate

Two prominent all-rounders, Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja, found themselves embroiled in a major controversy during the India-England Test series. In the fourth Test in Manchester, Stokes was ready to shake hands and moved up to Jadeja and Washington Sundar on the fifth day.

However, both batters denied shaking hands with the England skipper and continued to bat in the second innings. Eventually, both batters scored centuries as the fourth Test finally ended in a draw. The England players expressed displeasure with the stance taken by the Indian players.

However, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir defended India’s stance. The Test series ended 2-2 after India won the fifth Test at the Oval and made a grand comeback in the series, being 1-2 down after the first three Tests.

1. MCG pitch rated “unsatisfactory” by ICC

The Boxing Day Test between Australia and England in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 finished within two days. The Test match started on December 26th and finished in just 142 overs. As many as 36 wickets fell in less than two days as England won the Test match by four wickets.

The unsatisfactory rating was given by match referee Jeff Crowe, who further said that the pitch was heavily in favour of the bowlers. The first Test in Perth also finished within two days.

Despite winning the fourth Test, England have already lost the Ashes series, as Australia leads 3-1. The fifth Test starts on January 4, 2026, in Sydney.

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