Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi has apologized to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for taking the T20 Asia Cup 2025 trophy and medals from the Dubai Cricket Stadium on September 28, after India won the final against Pakistan. Naqvi said, “What happened shouldn’t have happened,” expressing regret over the incident. However, despite the apology, he refuses to hand over the trophy and medals to the Indian team, insisting that India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav must personally come to collect them from the ACC office in Dubai.
The controversy began when the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi during the post-match presentation due to his dual role as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and PCB Chairman, along with perceived political tensions. This led to a significant delay in the ceremony, as Naqvi insisted on presenting the trophy himself. The Indian team requested that Khalid Al Zarooni, vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, present the trophy instead, but Naqvi denied this request. Eventually, officials took the trophy and medals off the field, ending the ceremony in chaos.
ACC Meeting
At a subsequent ACC meeting in Dubai, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla strongly confronted Naqvi, demanding the trophy’s immediate return. Naqvi apologized for the mismanagement but again insisted that the trophy could only be handed over if Suryakumar Yadav personally collected it. He expressed feeling humiliated by the Indian team’s refusal, saying, “I was standing there as cartoon without any reason. There was no information to ACC in writing that Indian team will not accept it from me.”
SKY PC
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav criticized the incident in the post-match press conference, stating, “This is one thing which I have never seen. Since I started playing cricket… that a champion team is denied a trophy. That too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it.” He emphasized the hard work and effort India put in throughout the tournament and expressed deep disappointment at the denial.
BCCI Acts
BCCI has condemned Naqvi’s actions as “unfortunate and unsportsmanlike” and plans to file a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in their upcoming meeting to seek resolution. Naqvi is scheduled to return to Lahore, Pakistan, while the trophy remains in his possession, deepening the diplomatic and cricketing standoff between the two boards.
The trophy saga has overshadowed India’s histori Asia Cup final win against Pakistan, producing one of the most controversial moments in recent cricket history. The situation remains unresolved, with both cricketing bodies standing firm amid rising tensions