Asia Cup Trophy Standoff Escalates: BCCI Demands Immediate Handover from ACC Chief Naqvi, Threatens ICC Escalation

Indian board emails Mohsin Naqvi for swift delivery of trophy after team’s symbolic victory celebration without it; Naqvi retorts that BCCI must collect it from Dubai office.

New Delhi, October 21, 2025 – The lingering controversy over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy has intensified, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally emailing Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, demanding the immediate handover of the trophy to Indian authorities. If Naqvi stalls, the BCCI has warned it will escalate the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), according to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.

Saikia revealed the development during an India Today event, emphasizing that the BCCI is awaiting Naqvi’s response. “We are waiting for Naqvi’s reply. If he doesn’t respond or gives a negative answer, we will complain to the ICC,” Saikia stated.

The dispute traces back to September 28, when India clinched the Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan in the final at Dubai International Stadium. In a bold show of solidarity, the Indian team, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi’s hands during the presentation ceremony. The boycott was in protest against the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, underscoring strained India-Pakistan relations amid ongoing cross-border tensions.

Ceremony presenter Simon Doull announced that the Indian team would not receive awards from Naqvi, offering instead to accept them from another ACC official. However, Naqvi insisted on personally presenting the trophy, leading to an abrupt end to the event. He departed the venue with the trophy and medals in tow, later depositing it at the ACC’s Dubai office before heading to Pakistan.

Naqvi, responding to the BCCI’s email, dismissed the move as “political maneuvering.” “The Asia Cup trophy is kept in the ACC office. It will only be handed over if someone comes to the office,” he retorted, adding that no prior written intimation was received about India’s refusal.

Post-event, Naqvi had quipped that he stood on stage “like a cartoon” without warning of the snub. He further asserted that no one could touch the trophy without his permission and invited Yadav to personally retrieve it from the ACC headquarters.

The final match was already charged with geopolitical undertones. Indian players avoided handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts throughout the tournament, while Pakistani players repeatedly flashed a “6-0” gesture—a provocative nod to their unsubstantiated claim of downing six Indian fighter jets during the fictional “Operation Sindoor.”

India’s victory parade back home proceeded without the physical trophy, with players lifting an empty plinth in a poignant symbol of triumph amid adversity. The BCCI had previously lodged a strong protest at the ACC’s Annual General Meeting over the trophy’s withholding despite India’s championship status.

As the saga unfolds, cricket enthusiasts await resolution, with the BCCI’s threat of ICC intervention signaling potential broader repercussions for regional cricket governance.

In related cricket news:Rishabh Pant has been named captain of the India A team for a two-match four-day series against South Africa A, set to unfold at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru starting October 30.