The Asia Cup 2025 has ended on the field, but the drama off the field is far from over. Even after India’s thrilling five-wicket win against Pakistan in the final at Dubai, the Suryakumar Yadav-led squad is still waiting to lift the glittering silverware.
The entire drama began when Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, refused to let anyone else present the trophy to the Asia Cup 2025 champions on Sunday (September 28).
Mohsin Naqvi walks away with the Asia Cup trophy after India’s win
Actually, Indian players declined to receive the trophy and winner’s medals from Mohsin Naqvi due to his repeated anti-India remarks during the tournament, which included provocative social media posts targeting the country. This led to around a one-hour delay in the post-match ceremony.
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However, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Kuldeep Yadav collected their individual honors, and the Pakistan team also picked up their runners-up medals, but the main trophy presentation couldn’t happen as the ACC chairman was adamant not to allow anyone to snatch his honor.
In a dramatic twist, the PCB chairman left the Dubai International Cricket Stadium carrying the Asia Cup trophy with him. The trophy is still with Naqvi in Dubai, and even after the conversations with the other ACC board members, he is still denying sending the trophy to India.
Mohsin Naqvi demands a formal ceremony to hand over the Asia Cup trophy and medals to India
According to the protocol, the trophy should now be sent to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters in Mumbai. However, the process has hit a deadlock.
As reported by Cricbuzz, Mohsin Naqvi wants a formal ceremony where he can hand over the Asia Cup trophy and medals to the Indian cricket team. The ACC chairman has also informed the organizers about his condition.
However, it is unlikely that Naqvi’s demand will be met, considering the political relations between India and Pakistan.
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BCCI accuses Mohsin Naqvi of holding the Asia Cup Trophy hostage
Meanwhile, the BCCI believes that Naqvi has taken the trophy into his personal possession instead of keeping it at the ACC headquarters in Dubai. The Indian board reportedly felt that this act violates the ACC’s protocol and has sparked outrage among the officials.
The drama is set to escalate at the ACC’s scheduled Annual General Meeting on Tuesday in Dubai at 2 pm local time (3:30 pm IST). ACC’s AGM, which was supposed to happen in Dhaka in Jul,y will now be held on Tuesday, and the fiery dispute over the missing silverware will be the main issue to address.
The BCCI is determined to reclaim the trophy that rightfully belongs to the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian cricket team. The board vice-president, Rajiv Shukla, or former treasurer, Ashish Shelar, will represent the Indian board at the meeting. It is being said that they will officially demand that the trophy be handed over to the BCCI at the AGM.
If Naqvi refuses to cooperate, the BCCI is prepared to escalate matters further. Now, all eyes are on the ACC meeting to see if the standoff will finally end or explode into an even bigger scandal.
