The long-running standoff over the Asia Cup trophy shows no signs of ending, with Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), still in control of it.
According to NDTV, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sent a further warning to Naqvi, demanding him to return the trophy to India or risk the case being taken to the International Cricket Council (ICC) during next month’s conference in Dubai.
The dispute arose when the Indian team declined to take the trophy directly from him during the post-match presentation ceremony in Dubai, citing Naqvi’s dual role as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Following the incident, Naqvi reportedly stole the trophy and kept it in his Dubai office.
Naqvi’s claimed demands have made efforts to address the matter even more difficult. He allegedly demanded that a formal celebration be held for India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to personally take the trophy from him, which the BCCI denied. The Indian board insists that the trophy and medals should be delivered immediately to the ACC headquarters for official collection.
According to sources, the cricket bodies in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka endorse India’s approach.
However, Naqvi has refused to budge, causing the BCCI to plan a formal protest at the ICC board meeting in Dubai.
The BCCI has also advised Naqvi not to file complaints with ICC members after he allegedly claimed he was made to look like a comedian on the Asia Cup dais when the Indian team declined to approach him for the presentation.
Speaking of the competition, India won the Asia Cup 2025 after defeating Pakistan in the final. The Men in Blue defeated their archrivals three times in the continental championship and remained unbeaten throughout.
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