Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, Sep 30: In a dramatic turn of events at the Asia Cup 2025 final, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi reportedly took the tournament trophy to his hotel after Team India refused to accept it from his hands following their five-wicket victory over Pakistan on Sunday. Naqvi, present at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, stepped onto the presentation stage but left abruptly after India insisted on collecting the trophy from a “neutral” official.

Two days after the final, there is still no clarity on when the trophy and winners’ medals will reach the Indian team, which has already returned home. According to a report by Cricbuzz, Naqvi, who is also a political figure in Pakistan, has stipulated that the Indian players will receive their medals only if a formal function is arranged where he personally hands over the trophy and medals—a scenario considered highly unlikely given the political tensions between India and Pakistan.

Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia criticized Naqvi for taking the trophy and medals to his hotel. “We have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. So we will not accept it from him. This is very unfortunate and unsporting,” Saikia told ANI.

He further confirmed that the BCCI plans to report the incident to the ICC. “We hope the trophy and medals will be returned to India as soon as possible. The ICC conference in early November in Dubai will see us launch a very serious and strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson,” Saikia added.

The incident has left the cricketing world stunned and raised concerns over sportsmanship and protocol in international tournaments.