Mohsin Naqvi, head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), surprised the cricketing community by taking the Asia Cup 2025 trophy back to his hotel room. This unusual move followed Team India`s refusal to accept the trophy directly from him after their victory against Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Naqvi had been present on the presentation stage but left the ceremony after India reiterated their preference to receive the trophy from a neutral official.
Two days after the tournament`s conclusion, the trophy and winners` medals had not yet been delivered to the Indian team, who had already returned home. However, a report from Cricbuzz revealed that Naqvi, who also holds a significant political position in Pakistan, had imposed a condition for their return.
The report claims that Naqvi informed the organizers that Suryakumar Yadav`s squad would only receive their medals at a formal function specifically arranged to allow him the opportunity to personally present the trophy and medals. Considering the ongoing political sensitivities between India and Pakistan, such an arrangement is widely regarded as highly unlikely.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, Devajit Saikia, previously expressed strong disapproval of Naqvi`s decision to take the trophy and medals to his hotel room.
“We have made the decision not to accept the trophy from the ACC chairman, given that he is a prominent leader from Pakistan. Therefore, we will not accept it from him,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI. He also confirmed that the BCCI intends to report the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC). Saikia added, “That certainly does not mean the gentleman can simply take the trophy and medals with him. It is profoundly unfortunate and unsportsmanlike conduct.”
The BCCI official concluded by asserting, “We expect the trophy and medals to be returned to India as quickly as possible. We are definitely planning a protest. There is an ICC conference scheduled for November, or the first week of November, in Dubai, where we intend to lodge a very serious and strong protest against the actions of the ACC chairperson.”
