The Asia Cup 2025 final has left behind not just memories of India’s win over Pakistan in Dubai but also a controversy that has spiralled into a diplomatic standoff within cricket administration.
The storm centres on Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who has been accused of refusing to hand over the trophy to the Indian team after their victory on September 28.
Officials argue that his conduct violated ceremonial protocols and damaged the credibility of both the Asian body and the International Cricket Council.
Reports suggest that the Asia Cup trophy remains in Dubai, currently with the UAE cricket board, and has not yet been handed to India.
During the ACC meeting on September 30, a heated argument broke out after Naqvi accused Indian players of disrespecting him at the presentation.
He complained that cricketers ignored him and the trophy while remaining busy on their phones and games.
Naqvi later insisted that if India wanted the trophy and medals, their captain must collect them from the ACC office in Dubai.
India rejected this condition outright, demanding a protocol handover in line with ACC rules rather than ad-hoc terms.
BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla said: “How could you expect our players to accept the trophy from Pakistan’s home minister? You mixed cricket with politics. You should have spoken to BCCI first. Our captain is in Mumbai and will not come to Dubai. Send the trophy to the ACC or ICC.”
The Indian board maintains that the trophy and medals should have been presented by neutral officials such as UAE’s Khalid Al Zarooni or Bangladesh’s Aminul Islam, a proposal Naqvi rejected.
Instead, reports claim that Naqvi walked away with the silverware, which was later taken to his hotel room in Dubai. The BCCI says this was an act of unsportsmanlike conduct.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia underscored the board’s position in clear terms: “We have decided not to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the senior leaders of Pakistan. That was a conscious decision. This does not give him the right to take the trophy and the medals with him. It is extremely unfortunate and unsportsmanlike. We hope the trophy medals will be returned to India as soon as possible.”
The controversy has exposed concerns of conflict of interest, breaches of fair conduct and the mixing of politics with sport.
Ceremonial protocols are not a matter of formality but an essential part of honouring the winners.
By conditioning the handover, Naqvi is seen to have turned a routine duty into a political statement.
Although Naqvi softened his tone during the September 30 meeting, the standoff over the trophy shows no sign of resolution.
With India refusing to collect the silverware under Naqvi’s terms and the ACC chief refusing to release it unconditionally, the Asia Cup 2025 title remains marred by a controversy that will not end until a proper, protocol-compliant handover takes place.