India’s men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies are reportedly set to remain in Pakistan until the BCCI agrees to receive them from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, according to Geo Super.
The development leaves both pieces of silverware at the centre of an unresolved dispute spanning two editions of the Asia Cup. India won the men’s competition in 2025 and the women’s tournament in 2026, but neither title-winning side collected its trophy after declining to receive it from Naqvi.
Saikia expects trophies to eventually reach Mumbai
The latest development comes after BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the outstanding trophies on Friday following the Board’s 95th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters, Saikia said: “Asia Cup trophies… we hope it will come one day. I will not give you a timeline, but I can assure you that both the trophies will come up and land up in this BCCI head office at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.”
While Saikia did not put a timeframe on their arrival, the subsequent development indicates that the disagreement over who will hand over the trophies remains unresolved.
Standoff began with men’s Asia Cup final
The first trophy became caught up in the dispute after India defeated Pakistan in the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai. India declined to collect the silverware from Naqvi, leading to an unusual conclusion to the presentation ceremony in which the champions did not receive their trophy.
Efforts to settle the issue subsequently failed to produce a resolution. The BCCI proposed that the trophy could instead be presented by other senior officials, while Naqvi maintained his position that the Indian team should receive it from him.
The matter was also raised by the BCCI at subsequent multinational meetings, but the trophy remained outstanding.
Women’s triumph produces second trophy dispute
The same disagreement resurfaced at the 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai. India defeated defending champions Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final, but the team did not receive the winners’ trophy or medals from Naqvi.
India instead held its own fielding medal presentation following the victory, with Saikia and BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla presenting Nandani Sharma with the fielding award after she took two diving catches in the final.
After the tournament, Saikia told PTI that the BCCI had informed the ACC beforehand that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation under the proposed arrangement. He described the move as an institutional decision reflecting the Board’s position and the circumstances and sentiment in India, rather than an action directed at the players, tournament or sport.
No handover agreement in place
The two trophies have now become part of the same unresolved disagreement: the BCCI wants the silverware secured by its title-winning teams, while the arrangement for receiving it from the ACC remains contested.
Naqvi’s current term as ACC President is scheduled to end in April 2027. Any extension would require the support of the ACC’s members, while the organisation’s presidency operates on a rotational basis.
For now, however, there is no agreed mechanism or publicly confirmed timeline for transferring either trophy to the BCCI. Despite Saikia’s confidence that both will ultimately reach the Board’s headquarters at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, the latest development leaves the silverware in Pakistan while the dispute over its presentation continues.
