Asia Cup 2025, Which was Played by 8 Teams, Eventually Became a Stage for a Cold War Between Two Nations

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In a fresh controversy, Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), set new demands to hand over the Asia Cup trophy and the winning medal to team India after apologising. During a virtual Asia Cup Council (ACC) meeting, the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) officials demanded the trophy and medals to be returned to India as they aren't anyone's personal property. However, Naqvi has outright refused to do so.

BCCI’s Demand for the Asia Cup Trophy

Reportedly, BCCI's Rajiv Shukla and Ashish Shelar asked Naqvi to keep the trophy in the ACC's Dubai office, from where it can be sent to the Indian team.

"Shukla and Shelar argued that the ACC should keep the trophy in the office, and BCCI would get it collected. They said, 'We want the trophy as legitimate winners.' Naqvi was passing the buck but not saying no at the same time. It was made clear that the BCCI will complain to the ICC, and Shelar briefly left the meeting," said the BCCI source.

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Maintaining a strong stance despite Naqvi's complaints, the BCCI maintained that the trophy isn't Naqvi's personal property; hence, it has to be returned.

"Shukla and Shelar categorically said that the trophy should be handed over to the winning team. It is an ACC trophy and doesn't belong to an individual. Naqvi did not say no to it; he was passing the buck," the source added.

"Naqvi insisted that the matter should not be discussed in the AGM and should be brought up separately at some other time. The single-point agenda of the meeting was to elect a Vice-Chairman, but even that was deferred."

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Naqvi’s Alleged Demand

According to sources, the PCB chairman demanded that the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav visit Dubai to collect the trophy. Meanwhile, the BCCI responded to him, saying, "He didn’t collect the trophy when you were there in front of him, you think he will come now?"

Protests by BCCI 

In protest, Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) representative and ex officio Ashish Shelar exited Wednesday’s Asian Cricket Council (ACC) online meeting midway after he failed to get clarity on when India would get the Asia Cup trophy and the players’ medals for the final. 

“Shelar informed members that the BCCI secretary Devajit Sakia has already written to ACC about the same, but there has been no response. The BCCI wants the trophy and medals to be delivered to ACC’s office in Dubai, from where the Indian board will get them collected. However, Shelar didn’t get a positive response for the same. So Shelar and Shukla decided to quit the meeting, marking their protest,” a top BCCI official told recently. He also went on to add that Naqvi, in his opening speech, “didn’t extend his congratulations to the Indian officials for winning the title”.

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What Surya Said about Trophy Collection?

“We didn’t close the door and sit inside the dressing room. We didn’t make anyone wait for the presentation ceremony. Trophy leke bhaag gaye woh (They ran away with the trophy). That’s what I saw. I don’t know, some people were making a video of us, but we were standing. We didn’t go inside,” the 34-year-old Indian skipper said recently.

Shahid Afridi’s Request to Naqvi

Amidst the ongoing trophy fiasco, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi took the centre stage and asked Mohsin Naqvi to resign from either his position in the PCB or his role in politics. 

“My request or advice to Naqvi Saheb is that these are two very important posts, and they are big jobs that need time. PCB is totally different from the Interior Ministry, so it must be kept separate. It would be a big decision and should be taken as soon as possible. Pakistan cricket needs special attention and time… Naqvi cannot rely totally on advisers,” Afridi said in an interview.

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From ignoring handshakes to the trophy refusal from the PCB chairman, cricket enthusiasts witnessed a bizarre sequence of events throughout the Asia Cup 2025. After a thrilling match, when India won the 9th Asia Cup, Naqvi was seen standing on the stage for a long time during the ceremony. Apart from the individual awards, none of the Indian players walked up to the stage to collect the trophy. Later, the PCB chairman was seen walking away with the winners' medal and the trophy, sparking a massive controversy.

Following the ACC meeting on Tuesday, it was reported that the BCCI will be registering a complaint against Mohsin Naqvi with the ICC. However, another speculation surfaced as it is also understood that the ACC left the decision over the trophy to the five test-playing nations in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.