Dubai: In a shocking turn of events, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, serving as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman, withheld the Asia Cup trophy from the Indian cricket team after they refused to accept it from him.
Drama unfolded for 90 minutes at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium following India’s thrilling five-wicket win over Pakistan in Sunday’s final. The on-field excitement was soon overshadowed by the tense trophy presentation.
Indian players, joined by family members—including skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s wife Devisha and coach Gautam Gambhir’s wife and daughters—gathered near the field in celebration. A short distance away, Naqvi stood with ACC and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had reportedly informed the ACC that the team would not accept the trophy from Naqvi due to his overt anti-India stance. Previously, Naqvi had posted controversial videos referencing India-Pakistan tensions and had sought ICC action against Suryakumar Yadav over his solidarity with victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. During the tournament, the Indian team had also maintained a “no handshake” policy with Pakistan.
For the first hour of the delayed ceremony, no Pakistani players were on the field. While the Indian squad was willing to accept the trophy from other dignitaries, including Dubai Sports City’s Khalid Al Zarooni, they refused to go on stage while Naqvi remained present.
A senior BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity, “BCCI would have lodged an official protest if Naqvi had tried to forcefully hand over the trophy.”
With the situation unresolved, presenter Simon Doull moved on to distribute individual awards. After Pakistan players received their prizes from Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul, Doull announced: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”
In a surprising twist, as Naqvi exited the podium, ACC staff also left with the trophy, leaving the stadium in disbelief. Bulbul later told media outside the stadium that the ceremony had to be cut short due to India’s refusal to accept the award.
The Indian squad briefly celebrated and posed for photos without the trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said from Mumbai, “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who is one of the main leaders of Pakistan. We expect the trophy and individual medals to be returned to India as soon as possible.”
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha defended Naqvi’s actions, stating, “He is the ACC chairman. He is well within his rights to give away the trophy.”
BCCI to push for Naqvi’s removal from ACC
Following the incident, the BCCI—angry over the turn of events—plans to raise the matter at the ICC conference in Dubai in November. Saikia confirmed, “We are going to launch a very serious and strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson.”
Implications for future India-Pakistan clashes
India-Pakistan matches are a major draw for global cricket audiences, but Sunday’s events in Dubai may cast a shadow over future encounters, forcing stakeholders to reconsider the costs of hosting these high-profile clashes, given the political and sporting tensions on display.
