BCCI challenges Naqvi at ACC meeting
The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan may have ended on the field, but its aftershocks are still shaking cricket governance in Asia. At the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) annual meeting in Dubai, Indian officials clashed with ACC president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi over the winners’ trophy and medals.
A source present at the meeting told Times of India, “Both Shukla and Shelar completely cornered Naqvi on the issue, which was not listed on the agenda but was taken up before the meeting ended. India raised a strong objection to Naqvi taking away the Asia Cup trophy and medals with him on Sunday night in Dubai after India beat Pakistan in the final by five wickets.”
The exchange ended without resolution. “The matter has been deferred and will now be dealt with between Naqvi and the BCCI, with a mediator in between,” the source added.
Walkout over missing trophy
Indian representatives Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar pressed Naqvi for clarity on when the trophy and medals would be delivered but received no assurance. According to a top BCCI official who spoke to The Indian Express, “Shelar informed members that the BCCI secretary Devajit Sakia has already written to ACC about the same but there has been no response. The BCCI wants the trophy and medals to be delivered to ACC’s office in Dubai from where the Indian board will get it collected. However, Shelar didn’t get a positive response for the same. So Shelar and Shukla decided to quit the meeting marking their protest.”
BCCI’s frustration was underscored by Naqvi’s conduct at the meeting. A source revealed to Hindustan Times, “Naqvi’s behavior in the meeting was totally unbecoming of an ACC chairman. His opening remarks didn’t include a congratulatory message for India for winning the Asia Cup. He only did so after being pointed out by Ashish Shelar repeatedly. He had no intention of talking about India’s win and the missing trophy. The BCCI pointed out that they will take care of logistics; he just needs to get the medals and silverware delivered to ACC headquarters, but he kept deflecting.”
Another official described the meeting as frustrating, speaking to media, saying, “There was no intention to resolve any matter from PCB and ACC Chair Naqvi. He had all the time to talk about everything under the sun, but didn’t acknowledge India winning. It was very strange to see how he conducted himself in the meeting.”
The pressure only mounted as the discussions dragged on. Officials grew increasingly frustrated at what they saw as evasive responses from the ACC chair.
“He kept beating around the bush. Shelar put his foot down and asked him to send the trophy and medals to the ACC office, and BCCI will themselves arrange the logistics of getting it back to India. Imagine, he didn’t even agree to that. Naqvi was informed about the BCCI’s intention to lodge a protest with ICC too, since it’s a tournament approved by the ICC,” an official present in the meeting told media.
BCCI’s next steps and regional pushback
Naqvi attempted to defend his stance by insisting on protocol, but Indian officials dismissed the claim. “Naqvi was under the impression that being the ACC president, only he could present the trophy on the stage. However, the BCCI representatives told him that there was no such mandate. They cited that in 2022, it was Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva who presented the trophy to the then Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka, and not Jay Shah, who was then the ACC chairman. He was also told that BCCI was firm in its stance that Surya would not take the trophy from Naqvi, especially in light of his anti-India social media posts recently,” said a source quoted by Times of India.
Another insider stressed that Naqvi was isolated. “No country attending the AGM supported Naqvi’s act. In fact, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka supported India’s stance,” the source added.
The BCCI is now preparing to escalate the matter internationally. “We are hopeful that better sense will prevail on Naqvi and he will do the needful, otherwise India will lodge a complaint against him in the ICC,” a source told TOI. Another BCCI source, cited by Dainik Jagran, went further: “Naqvi cannot take the trophy to his hotel. Now Naqvi’s days in the ACC are numbered, and he will soon be shown the door. The BCCI will launch a campaign to remove Naqvi. We will raise this issue seriously at the ICC meeting in November. Such a person should not be allowed a place in the top institutions of international cricket.”
Chaos after the Asia Cup final
The dispute stems from the dramatic conclusion of the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai, where India defeated Pakistan but left the stadium without receiving the trophy or medals. India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, later expressed his disbelief at the episode. “We didn’t close the door and sit inside the dressing room. We didn’t make anyone wait for the presentation ceremony. Trophy leke bhaag gaye woh (They ran away with the trophy). That’s what I saw. I don’t know, some people were making a video of us, but we were standing. We didn’t go inside,” he told The Indian Express.
The bizarre ceremony was further confirmed on live television when commentator Simon Doull announced, “I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”
Naqvi hits back at Indian media
As the BCCI ramps up pressure, Mohsin Naqvi has publicly rejected claims that he apologized to Indian officials over the incident. On social media platform X, he wrote: “Indian media thrives on lies, not facts. Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so.”
He doubled down, calling the stories part of a smear effort. “This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people. Unfortunately, India continues to drag politics into cricket, damaging the very spirit of the game,” Naqvi posted.
The PCB chief insisted he has no objection to handing over the trophy, but on his terms. “As ACC Chairman, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me,” he said.
During the ACC meeting, Naqvi also defended his refusal to engage with India’s demand, telling Geo News sources, “This item was not on the ACC meeting agenda.” He added, “If the Indian team wants the trophy, the captain can come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
Political undertones
Naqvi also turned his fire on India for linking cricket with geopolitics. Responding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post that celebrated India’s Asia Cup victory as a continuation of “Operation Sindoor,” Naqvi shot back on X: “Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.”
What lies ahead
The Asia Cup trophy dispute has now escalated beyond sport into diplomatic sparring. With India threatening to escalate the matter to the ICC and Naqvi refusing to yield, the standoff shows no sign of easing.
The controversy has ensured that Asia Cup 2025 will be remembered as much for its political theatre and governance battles as for India’s triumph on the field.
