Dubai: A controversy has emerged following India’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final, as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi reportedly set a condition for handing over the trophy and winners’ medals to Team India.
Naqvi, who is also a political figure in Pakistan, took the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and medals to his hotel room after the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Indian team had refused to accept the trophy directly from him, insisting on receiving it from a neutral official. After stepping onto the presentation stage, Naqvi left the stadium, leaving the distribution unresolved.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Naqvi has indicated that the Indian players, including Suryakumar Yadav, will receive their medals only if a formal function is arranged where he is given the opportunity to present the trophy and medals personally. Given the tense political relations between India and Pakistan, such an arrangement appears highly unlikely.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia strongly criticized Naqvi’s actions, describing them as “unfortunate” and “unsporting.” Saikia said, “We have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. So we will not accept it from him.”
Saikia confirmed that the BCCI plans to raise the issue formally at the upcoming ICC conference in Dubai in November. “We hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible. This is definitely what we are going to do — protest strongly against the act of the ACC chairperson,” he added.
The incident has left the status of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and medals uncertain two days after the conclusion of the final, with India having already returned home. Cricket officials and fans are awaiting clarity on how and when the awards will be officially delivered to the Indian team.