India-Pakistan Asia Cup Final Controversy: Yadav Won’t Accept Trophy From PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi

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Tensions between India and Pakistan have resurfaced in the Asia Cup as politics seep into cricketing proceedings. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has reportedly declared he will not accept the trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi if India wins the final on September 28.

This statement highlights the growing intersection of sports and diplomacy in the region. Mohsin Naqvi is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate Over Trophy Protocol

This position is a follow-up on India's refusal to shake hands with Pakistan before and after their recent Group A game in the tournament, a move that the Indian team has termed as a sign of solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

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As per PTI and other Indian media, Suryakumar Yadav has conveyed to the ACC that in case India is victorious in the Asia Cup, he along with his team will boycott the presentation function with Mohsin Naqvi. They refuse to share the dais or receive the trophy from him as ACC president and PCB chairman.

The controversy relating to handshakes and protocol has already gained steam:

The board of Pakistan lodged a formal complaint to the ACC and ICC against match referee Andy Pycroft, saying he told captains to bypass handshakes at the toss and after the game.

Will Asia Cup Trophy Ceremony Spark Controversy?

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India justified their action, explaining that not shaking hands was a deliberate move, a gesture of respect for the martyrs of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, and that it is in line with the team's and Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) instructions.

Observers opine that this could possibly be unprecedented in the recent history of the Asia Cup, wherein captains have received the trophy from ACC leadership regardless of nationality or political backdrop. Whether the ACC or PCB will modify the presentation procedure to stem possible embarrassment or further controversy is to be seen.

The last, scheduled for September 28 in Dubai, has now become about more than cricket. The attention is likely to be as much on off-field developments - who hands out the trophy, whether presentation ceremonies are modified, and what symbolic moves are made - as on who holds it.