ACC Chief Mohsin Naqvi Agrees to Hand India Their Asia Cup Medals, But Puts Forward a Condition BCCI May Reject
Trophy Tussle Overshadows India’s Asia Cup Triumph
With Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi walking away from the Dubai International Stadium with the Asia Cup trophy, the question on everyone’s minds is when the winning Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will finally get their hands on the silverware. It seems that the logjam is set to continue, with no party willing to budge from its stance. According to protocol, the ACC needs to ensure that the Asia Cup trophy reaches the headquarters of the BCCI in Mumbai, but it is unclear when this will happen.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Mohsin Naqvi has informed the organisers that the Indian team can receive their medals, provided a formal function is organised where he can present the awards. However, it is unlikely that his demand will be met and no such function will be arranged. As a result, there is no short conclusion to the saga, and a power tussle is set to play out further.
The Asia Cup 2025 got off to a dramatic and controversial end after India won the eight-team tournament by beating Pakistan by five wickets in the final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. After the contest on the field was over, another one began off it. The Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Interior Minister of Pakistan. Throughout the competition, Mohsin Naqvi had repeatedly made anti-India statements and even mocked the country through provocative social media posts.
With India’s refusal to take the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the post-match presentation was delayed by 45 minutes. Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Kuldeep Yadav received their individual awards, while the Pakistan players collected their runners-up cheques and medals. However, there was no trophy presentation for the Indian team.
This was because Naqvi insisted on personally handing over the trophy and refused to allow anyone else the spotlight. The fallout eventually turned into a tug-of-war, with Naqvi walking away from the stadium and taking the trophy with him, leaving the champions of Asia without their prize.
ACC caught napping
Even before the start of the Asia Cup final, it was evident that India would refuse to accept the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, given their stance of not shaking hands with anyone from the Pakistan camp throughout the tournament.
Naqvi further fueled tensions by posting anti-India remarks on social media, despite holding the chair of ACC head. This gave the Suryakumar Yadav-led side even more reason to snub him.
No one within the ACC had preempted such a situation, and the entire council waited until the final game to attempt to resolve the impasse. The Indian camp, after consulting BCCI officials in Mumbai, firmly decided not to have anything to do with Naqvi.
However, with Naqvi determined to remain in the spotlight, the presentation ceremony ended in controversy. Broadcaster Simon Doull summed it up, announcing: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”
