BCCI warns ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi to return the Asia Cup 2025 trophy to India or face ICC escalation. [Photo: X/Rayham]
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has warned Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi to return the Asia Cup 2025 trophy to India immediately or face escalation to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The trophy remains at the ACC headquarters in Dubai after the Indian team refused to receive it from Mohsin Naqvi following their victory against Pakistan in the final. The post-match ceremony ended in controversy when Naqvi was reportedly denied the opportunity to present the award.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told India Today that the board has sent an official email to Naqvi asking him to hand over the trophy. If he fails to respond, the BCCI plans to escalate the issue formally to the ICC. “We are going step by step with the process and will keep pursuing the matter,” Saikia said.
According to reports from PTI, the BCCI has received backing from the Sri Lanka and Afghanistan cricket boards. Both have urged Naqvi to return the trophy to India.
“The BCCI secretary, BCCI’s ACC representative Rajeev Shukla, and representatives of other member boards, including Sri Lanka Cricket and Afghanistan, had written to the ACC president last week over handing the trophy to India,” an ACC source said.
Naqvi reportedly told the ACC that someone from BCCI should come to Dubai to collect the trophy in person. However, BCCI made its stance clear — it will not accept the trophy directly from Naqvi.
“This does not give him the right to take the trophy and the medals with him. It is extremely unfortunate and unsportsmanlike. We hope the trophy and medals will be returned to India as soon as possible,” Saikia stated. The BCCI insists that the Asia Cup belongs to the ACC, and the trophy must be presented officially to the winning side.
After India’s thrilling win against Pakistan, the players declined to take the medals and trophy from Naqvi, leading him to order ACC officials to remove the silverware from the stage. During the ACC meeting on September 30, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla criticized Naqvi’s conduct.
“The Asia Cup 2025 trophy should be officially presented to the victorious Indian team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, and it must be placed under the immediate custody of the Asian Cricket Council,” he said.
Naqvi later apologized to ACC members but stood firm on his condition that India’s captain must visit Dubai to collect the trophy — a demand the BCCI has firmly rejected.
This incident has added strain to the already tense cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan. The dispute also raises questions about ACC’s neutrality and professionalism.
Cricket analysts believe the standoff could influence future tournaments hosted under the ACC and impact bilateral cricket diplomacy between the two nations.
As BCCI prepares to escalate the issue to the ICC, fans and officials await a resolution to a controversy that has overshadowed India’s Asia Cup triumph.
