Reports: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi refuses to give Asia Cup trophy, wants India to collect in person

Published - 01 Oct 2025, 11:26 IST | Updated - 01 Oct 2025, 11:40 IST

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi has refused to hand over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy to India, insisting instead that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav must collect it in person from the ACC office.

On September 28, India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Stadium. While fans expected celebrations to follow, during the post-match presentation ceremony, the Indian team waited for more than an hour but refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, citing his political position and repeated anti-India remarks during the tournament.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had requested that the trophy be handed over by a neutral dignitary, such as the vice chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board. However, Naqvi stated that he alone would present the trophy. When India refused, the ACC chief walked away from the ground with the silverware and medals, leaving the winning team with nothing to show on stage except imaginary celebrations with an invisible trophy.

PAK isn't our competition, I agree with Surya: Tilak Varma

Soon after, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia slammed Naqvi’s actions. He described the PCB chief’s conduct as unsportsmanlike and unfortunate, and mentioned that the trophy should have been delivered to the winning team without conditions. Saikia stressed that the Men in Blue had consciously decided not to receive the trophy from Naqvi, but that did not give him the right to take away the trophy and medals along with him.

Indian players, including captain Suryakumar Yadav, revealed their disappointment as well. Yadav expressed that he had never seen a champion team denied their trophy in such a manner, but added that for him, the real trophies were his teammates and the campaign they had shared during the tournament.

According to a report by Geo Super, during an ACC meeting in Dubai, he rejected BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla’s demand to hand over the trophy. The PCB head reportedly said the matter was not on the meeting’s agenda and added that if India wanted the trophy, its captain must personally collect it from the ACC headquarters.

This condition is highly unlikely to be met by the BCCI, which has made it clear that no Indian representative will accept the trophy directly from Naqvi. According to the source, BCCI may escalate the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) during its next meeting in November.