Asian Cricket Council chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, left the stadium with the trophy and winners’ medals after India refused to accept them from his hands.
The nail-biting Asia Cup 2025 final ended on a dramatic note, with India securing a 5-wicket victory in Dubai on Sunday to clinch the title. However, the Indian team had to do the post-match ceremonies without the Asia Cup trophy, as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, left the stadium with the trophy and the winners’ medals. While it was expected that the Indian team would not be accepting the trophy from Naqvi’s hands, the ACC chief’s decision to not give the trophy to the winning team at all left everyone stunned.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia expressed his astonishment at Naqvi’s act, slamming him for leaving the stadium with the trophy and the medals. Saikia also explained why India refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“India is fighting a war with a country, and a leader belonging to that country was supposed to hand over the trophy to us… We cannot accept a trophy from a person who represents a country that is waging a war against our country. So we have refused to take that trophy, but that does not mean that the gentleman will take the trophy and the medals, which are to be given to our country, to his own hotel room. That is totally unexpected, and we hope that his good sense will prevail, and he will send back the trophy to India as soon as possible, which will restore some semblance of morality. At least we are expecting that from him,” Saikia said in a chat with ANI after the game.
The entire Asia Cup campaign saw the Indian team snub friendly gestures with their Pakistani counterparts. In fact, in the final, two different presenters-Ravi Shastri and Waqar Younis-were arranged by the broadcaster to speak with Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha at the toss, respectively.
Saikia further said that the BCCI will lodge a strong protest against this act by the Asian Cricket Council chief.
“We are going to lodge a very strong protest against the behavior of the gentleman in today’s prize distribution ceremony,” he said.
The BCCI also announced a prize money of Rs 21 crores for the Indian team and support staff after an impressive Asia Cup title run.
