Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), reportedly took the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and winners’ medals with him after the Indian team refused to accept them from him.
Asia Cup: India had defeated Pakistan in all three meetings of the tournament, including the final, but tensions ran high due to the teams’ strained relations and India’s “no-handshake policy” with Pakistani players. The backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed by terrorists reportedly supported by Pakistan, further intensified hostilities.
Asia Cup: During the trophy presentation in Dubai on September 28, the Indian team declined to receive the awards from Naqvi, preferring to take the medals from Aminul Islam, a representative of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and the trophy from the Emirates Cricket Board vice-president.
Offended by the suggestion, Naqvi left the stage in anger, taking the trophy and medals to his hotel. The Indian team went on to celebrate their victory without the physical trophy.
Mohsin Naqvi Clashes with BCCI at ACC AGM, Sets New Condition for Asia Cup 2025 Trophy
Reports suggest that Mohsin Naqvi, head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), introduced a new condition in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, stalemate after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected his request for a trophy handover ceremony.
During the ACC meeting on Tuesday, BCCI officials Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar pressed Naqvi to store the trophy at the ACC office in Dubai before it could be sent to India. However, Naqvi refused to comply and even challenged the discussion of the trophy handover, noting that it was not part of the meeting’s original agenda, according to Geo Super.
“This item was not on the ACC meeting agenda,” Naqvi reportedly told Shukla during the virtual session.
Asia Cup: As BCCI insisted on the trophy being returned, Naqvi reportedly stated, “If the Indian team wants the trophy, the captain can come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
Following Naqvi’s refusal, the BCCI cautioned that if the trophy is not handed over to the Indian team within a specified timeframe, a formal complaint would be lodged with the ICC.
