Key Points:
- India defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28, 2025, at Dubai International Stadium but didn’t receive trophy
- Indian team refused trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB Chairman
- Naqvi apologized to BCCI during ACC meeting on September 30 but refuses to return trophy; demands Suryakumar Yadav collect it from ACC office in Dubai
- BCCI rejected demand, questioning why captain should travel to collect trophy when he wasn’t required to do so on match day
- Naqvi took trophy and medals to his hotel room after presentation ceremony chaos; they remain there as diplomatic back-channels negotiate
- Indian players waited on field for over an hour before celebrating without trophy; recreated T20 World Cup 2024 victory walk with imaginary trophy
- Controversy stems from India-Pakistan aerial conflict in April 2025 following Pahalgam tourist attack that killed dozens
- ACC expresses “regret” over fiasco but no formal apology issued; Naqvi expected to fly to Lahore with trophy still in his possession
New Delhi: India’s record-extending ninth Asia Cup title triumph descended into an unprecedented diplomatic standoff at the Dubai International Stadium on September 28, 2025, when the victorious Indian team refused to accept the winner’s trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi following their thrilling five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan. What should have been a moment of jubilation turned into one of the most controversial trophy presentations in cricket history, overshadowing Tilak Verma’s magnificent unbeaten 69 and Rinku Singh’s match-winning runs.
The Indian team’s stance was unequivocal from the outset: they would not accept the trophy from Naqvi, who serves the triple role of ACC President, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, and Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later clarified the board’s position, stating, “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”.
Hour-Long Standoff and Chaotic Ceremony
Following Pakistan’s defeat, their team retreated to the dressing room and remained there for over an hour while Indian players completed broadcast duties. Naqvi and ACC officials then waited on the presentation podium for nearly 20 minutes as the delay stretched on, with the stadium atmosphere growing increasingly hostile. Indian fans inside the venue booed loudly while chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” making the situation even more tense.
Sources revealed that the Indian team had already informed the ACC before the ceremony that Naqvi was an unacceptable figure to present the trophy. As the standoff continued with no resolution in sight, the presentation ceremony ground to a complete halt. Eventually, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates took matters into their own hands, stepping onto the empty podium for photographs and celebrations without the trophy.
Hardik Pandya was the first to step onto the stage for a selfie, soon joined by the entire squad and support staff. In a poignant moment, Suryakumar Yadav recreated Rohit Sharma’s iconic T20 World Cup 2024 victory walk this time holding an imaginary trophy. The symbolism was not lost on observers: India’s champions were celebrating their hard-earned victory without the physical prize they had rightfully won on the field.
Naqvi Walks Away With Trophy to Hotel Room
In an extraordinary turn of events that stunned the cricket world, Mohsin Naqvi instructed ACC officials to remove the trophy and medals from the ground altogether. He then personally took the Asia Cup trophy and all winners’ medals to his hotel room in Dubai, where they have remained since September 28. Sources confirmed that the silverware was still in Naqvi’s hotel possession as of October 1, with no clarity on when or how it would be transferred to India.
The unprecedented decision to remove the trophy from the presentation venue sparked immediate outrage from the BCCI and cricket fans worldwide. “This does not give him the right to take the trophy and the medals with him. It is extremely unfortunate and unsportsmanlike,” BCCI Secretary Saikia told ANI news agency. He added, “We hope the trophy and medals will be returned to India as soon as possible”.
ACC Meeting: Apology But No Resolution
During the Asian Cricket Council’s annual meeting held on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, ACC President Mohsin Naqvi adopted a noticeably softer tone compared to his defiant stance immediately after the final. India Today learned that Naqvi apologized to BCCI officials, acknowledging that “the situation should not have escalated the way it did after the final”. He also expressed regret to member nations for the delayed start to the presentation ceremony during the ACC meeting.
However, despite the apology, Naqvi remained adamant in his refusal to return the trophy and medals to the Indian team in the manner expected by the BCCI. According to sources, the ACC has expressed “regret” over the controversy, saying such a situation could have been avoided, but Naqvi has not issued a formal written apology for his actions.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who participated in the ACC meeting, strongly condemned Naqvi’s conduct. Shukla underscored that the Asia Cup trophy belongs to the ACC as an organization, not to the PCB chief personally, and criticized Naqvi for taking the trophy and medals to his hotel room without proper handover protocols. Shukla insisted that the trophy must be formally handed over to captain Suryakumar Yadav and the winning Indian team, and remain in ACC’s official custody with immediate effect.
Naqvi Sets “Suryakumar Yadav Condition”
In a development that has further complicated the already tense situation, Mohsin Naqvi set a specific condition for handing over the Asia Cup trophy to India. Despite his apology during the ACC meeting, Naqvi stated that if the Indian team wanted the trophy, captain Suryakumar Yadav should personally visit the ACC office in Dubai to collect it.
“I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so. This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people,” Naqvi posted on social media platform X, contradicting reports of his apology. He added, “If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me”.
The BCCI quickly and categorically rejected this absurd demand. BCCI officials questioned why the Indian captain would need to travel to Dubai to collect a trophy when he was present on the field immediately after winning it and was not required to do so on match night. Sources within the Indian board described Naqvi’s condition as “another attempt to humiliate the Indian team” and vowed not to comply with such unreasonable demands.
India-Pakistan Tensions Rooted in April Military Conflict
The trophy controversy cannot be separated from the broader geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan that reached a boiling point earlier in 2025. The Asia Cup final occurred just four months after a brief but intense aerial military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in April 2025.
The conflict was triggered by a tragic terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which resulted in dozens of casualties. The attack prompted retaliatory military action by India, leading to aerial engagements between the two countries’ air forces. While a full-scale war was averted through international diplomatic intervention, the incident left deep scars and heightened animosity between the nations.
Against this backdrop of recent military confrontation, the BCCI’s decision not to accept the trophy from Naqvi who as Pakistan’s Interior Minister is considered a key political figure directly involved in security and defense matters takes on greater significance. Indian fans and media have characterized Naqvi as “someone waging war against our country,” making it politically and emotionally impossible for the Indian team to accept the trophy from his hands.
Players’ Reactions: “Trophy is in the Dressing Room”
Despite not receiving the physical trophy, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav maintained a dignified and defiant stance when addressing media after the controversial ceremony. “The win is important. If you saw after the match, ‘India’ was written on the big screen. ‘Asia Cup 2025 Champions’ what’s better than that? You play for that,” Suryakumar said.
The Indian captain was withering in his criticism of the trophy denial: “I have never seen a champion team being denied a trophy, especially one that was so hard-earned”. However, he quickly pivoted to emphasize the real meaning of victory: “My trophies are sitting in the dressing room all 14 guys with me, the support staff those are the real trophies of this Asia Cup”.
Man of the Tournament Abhishek Sharma lightened the mood with a cheeky remark that captured the team’s defiant spirit: “We actually got one. Surya bhai brought it! We felt it, we knew its weight” referring to the imaginary trophy their captain carried during the celebration.
Pakistan Captain Defends Naqvi’s Position
In contrast to the Indian team’s stance, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha defended Mohsin Naqvi’s role in the presentation ceremony. “If he is the ACC president, then he will only give the trophy. If you don’t want to take it from him, how will you get a trophy?” Agha questioned. The Pakistani captain also accused India of disrespecting cricket by refusing to participate in the traditional presentation ceremony.
Agha’s comments reflect a fundamentally different interpretation of the controversy. From the Pakistani perspective, Naqvi was performing his official duty as ACC President, and his additional roles as PCB Chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister should not have disqualified him from presenting the trophy. This view, however, fails to acknowledge the extraordinary geopolitical context and the recent military conflict that makes such a presentation unacceptable to India.
Diplomatic Back-Channels Working on Resolution
As the controversy entered its fourth day on October 1, 2025, NDTV sources confirmed that diplomatic back-channel negotiations are ongoing to bring the trophy to India. The involvement of diplomatic channels underscores how a sporting dispute has escalated into a matter requiring government-level intervention between two countries with a fraught bilateral relationship.
Sources also confirmed that Mohsin Naqvi is scheduled to fly to Lahore today (October 1), with no clarity on what will happen to the Asia Cup trophy and winners’ medals. The prospect of Naqvi returning to Pakistan with the trophy still in his possession has raised alarm bells within the BCCI and among Indian cricket fans, who fear the trophy might not be returned for an extended period.
The BCCI has made it clear that it will not let the matter rest. Secretary Devajit Saikia announced, “We will lodge a formal protest at the ICC conference in Dubai this November”. This indicates that India intends to escalate the issue to the International Cricket Council level, potentially seeking sanctions against the ACC or PCB for what it views as unprecedented unsportsmanlike conduct.
Internal Divisions Within ACC
According to sources familiar with the ACC meeting, disagreements were evident even within the Asian Cricket Council regarding how to handle the trophy controversy. Several senior ACC officials reportedly attempted to mediate between the BCCI and Naqvi, seeking a face-saving solution that would allow the trophy to be transferred to India while preserving Naqvi’s dignity.
However, these mediation efforts have thus far proven unsuccessful, with both sides remaining entrenched in their positions. The BCCI insists that the trophy should have been presented to India on the field immediately after the match, regardless of who performed the ceremony, while Naqvi maintains that his role as ACC President entitled him to present the trophy and that India’s refusal was an insult to his office.
India’s Tournament Journey and On-Field Dominance
The trophy controversy has unfortunately overshadowed what was an exceptional tournament performance by the Indian team. India faced Pakistan three times during the Asia Cup 2025 in the group stage, Super Four stage, and the final winning all three encounters decisively. This marked India’s ninth Asia Cup title, extending their record as the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
Tilak Verma emerged as one of the stars of the tournament, with his unbeaten 69 in the final earning him Player of the Match honors. Abhishek Sharma’s consistent performances throughout the competition saw him named Player of the Tournament. The Indian bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah and complemented by spinners, proved too strong for opposition batting lineups across all matches.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced the India-Pakistan conflict in his congratulatory message following India’s Asia Cup triumph, underscoring how deeply intertwined cricket and geopolitics have become in the India-Pakistan relationship.
Historical Context and Precedent
While India-Pakistan cricket matches have always carried political overtones given the troubled bilateral relationship, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy controversy represents an unprecedented escalation in mixing politics with sporting ceremonies. Never before in the history of international cricket has a champion team been denied the opportunity to receive their trophy on the field, nor has an official taken the trophy to their hotel room rather than presenting it to the winners.
The Indian team’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players during all three encounters of the tournament had already signaled the extent of tensions. However, the trophy presentation standoff has taken the political dimension of India-Pakistan cricket to new levels, raising serious questions about whether the two countries can continue to participate in multi-nation tournaments together if such incidents become the norm.
What Happens Next?
As of October 1, 2025, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and winners’ medals remain in Mohsin Naqvi’s hotel room in Dubai, with no immediate resolution in sight. The controversy shows no signs of subsiding and will likely remain a topic of intense discussion among media and fans for weeks or even months to come.
The BCCI has multiple options for escalating the matter:
1. ICC Complaint: As announced by Secretary Saikia, India will formally protest at the November ICC conference in Dubai, potentially seeking sanctions against the ACC.
2. Legal Action: The BCCI could explore legal remedies through international sporting arbitration to compel the ACC to transfer the trophy to India.
3. Boycott Threats: India could threaten to boycott future ACC-organized tournaments unless the trophy is returned and assurances provided against repetition of such incidents.
4. Diplomatic Pressure: The Indian government could exert pressure through diplomatic channels, given that Naqvi is a Pakistani government minister.
For Mohsin Naqvi and the ACC, the options are equally limited and fraught:
1. Unconditional Return: Transfer the trophy to India without conditions, accepting a loss of face but resolving the controversy.
2. Maintain Current Position: Continue demanding Suryakumar Yadav collect the trophy from Dubai, risking permanent estrangement with the BCCI and potential ICC intervention.
3. Third-Party Mediation: Accept mediation by a neutral cricket administrator or diplomatic figure to find a middle-ground solution.
The controversy has already caused significant damage to the reputation of both the ACC as an organization and Asian cricket more broadly. International cricket observers have expressed concern that political tensions are increasingly dominating sporting events, threatening the future of India-Pakistan cricket encounters and potentially affecting broader regional cricket cooperation.
As diplomatic back-channels continue negotiations and Mohsin Naqvi prepares to depart Dubai for Lahore, the cricket world watches anxiously to see whether a resolution can be found to this unprecedented trophy standoff or whether the Asia Cup 2025 will be remembered not for India’s on-field brilliance but for the bitter diplomatic fallout that left champions without their prize.
