India’s ninth Asia Cup triumph didn’t come up as a huge surprise. Rather, it was surprising that the final match went till the final over despite India taking Pakistan’s last nine wickets for a mere 33 runs. However, the chase got tricky, with the entire top-order failing before Tilak Varma stuck in and played a masterful innings to take India home.
Huge reward for Asia Cup win
The team not only lifted the trophy after a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai but also found themselves rewarded with a staggering ₹21 crore from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). That figure, announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, overshadows the official tournament prize money of ₹2.6 crore (USD 300,000) by a jaw-dropping 813 per cent.
While the Asian Cricket Council had already raised the winners’ purse from the 2023 edition’s USD 250,000, the difference paled next to BCCI’s grand gesture. Saikia called it a “big reward” for the unbeaten champions, noting that the fund will be shared among players and support staff. The generosity shows the financial room that the BCCI has that can dwarf all the prize moneys. For those unaware, the BCCI awarded a whopping Rs 125 crore prize money to the Indian team after they won the T20 World Cup 2024. In contrast, the ICC had a prize money of just over Rs 20 crore in that edition.
Asia Cup 2025 Prize Money
On the field, Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 and Shivam Dube’s brisk 33 steered India home in a tense chase of 146. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket burst triggered a Pakistani collapse from 84 for no loss to 146 all out. It was India’s third win over their neighbours in the tournament, sealing the crown in emphatic fashion.
The Asia Cup has steadily grown in financial stature from USD 200,000 (Rs 1.7 cr) in 2022 to USD 300,000 (Rs 2.6 cr) this year. For the runner-up, Pakistan, the consolation prize of USD 150,000 (₹1.3 crore approx.) provided little comfort compared to the prize money gulf created by BCCI’s announcement.
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