The controversy surrounding the Asia Cup 2025 final trophy has intensified, with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi reiterating that he was ready to conduct the presentation ceremony on the night of the final in Dubai.
“As ACC President, 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,” Naqvi stated.
His comments came after chairing the most recent ACC meeting in Dubai on Tuesday, which was attended remotely by BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former board treasurer Ashish Shelar.
The controversy began on September 28, when India defeated Pakistan to secure a record-extending ninth Asia Cup crown. The Indian players refused to accept the trophy and medals from Naqvi, citing strained geopolitical ties, instead requesting that the vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board conduct the ceremony. Naqvi declined the request.
When the delayed presentation finally commenced, India’s Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries. However, once Naqvi stepped on stage, the Indian side stood firm in refusing to accept the trophy. Shortly after, the trophy was quietly taken away, leaving the champions without their prize.
Subsequent reports alleged that Naqvi demanded that India captain Suryakumar Yadav travel to Dubai to personally collect the trophy from the ACC office.
The trophy standoff capped weeks of hostility between the two sides during the tournament. Throughout the Asia Cup, the Indian players declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts either before or after matches—a stance that Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha openly criticised. After the first meeting on September 14, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav was fined 30 per cent of his match fee following an ICC charge over post-match comments.
In the second game on September 21, Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was fined for provocative gestures towards the crowd. Following that fixture, Suryakumar further inflamed tensions by remarking that the lopsided head-to-head record meant the clash was “no longer a rivalry.” India then edged Pakistan in a thrilling final—the first-ever Asia Cup title match between the two sides.
After three consecutive Sundays of India-Pakistan contests in the men’s Asia Cup, attention now shifts to the women’s game, with the two nations set to meet in the ongoing ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in Colombo on October 5.