Unprecedented Standoff: India Refuse to Collect Asia Cup Trophy from PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi

In an unprecedented and dramatic conclusion to the Asia Cup 2025, the Indian cricket team won the final against Pakistan but did not receive the winners’ trophy, following a firm refusal to accept it from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The stunning turn of events unfolded during the post-match presentation in Dubai on Sunday, after India’s five-wicket victory. The ceremony was delayed by over an hour and a half due to a standoff: the Indian team was unwilling to collect the trophy from Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, while Naqvi remained adamant that he alone would perform the honours.

According to reports, officials from the Emirates Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board offered to present the trophy instead, an arrangement the Indian team was agreeable to. However, Naqvi did not relent on his position. With neither side willing to budge, the trophy was eventually taken off the ground before the broadcast began, and the Indian team ended their victorious night without the physical silverware.

The confusion escalated as the Pakistan team retreated to their dressing room immediately after the loss, while the entire presentation party, including Naqvi, was left waiting on the dais for over 35 minutes. Naqvi was seen making “animated phone calls” during this period.

When the presentation finally went ahead, host Simon Doull made a brief announcement: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.” While Indian players Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma collected individual awards from sponsors, the team did not receive their winners’ medals or the championship trophy. The Pakistan team collected their runners-up medals and departed.

A Celebration of Spirit: SKY Lifts an Imaginary Trophy

Refusing to let the diplomatic impasse dampen their triumph, the Indian team staged their own celebratory photo-op. Once Naqvi had left the venue, the players sat on the dais and posed for pictures. In a moment that captured both defiance and joy, captain Suryakumar Yadav, with a wide grin, mimed lifting an imaginary trophy as his teammates cheered around him, with fireworks and confetti providing a surreal backdrop.

India lift the Asia Cup Trophy in Dubai even though Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi cowardly stole it. Epic trolling of Pakistan by the Indian Cricket Team. pic.twitter.com/H0udtGSenP

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 28, 2025

In the post-match press conference, a composed but firm Suryakumar Yadav expressed his disbelief. “This is one thing which I have never seen since I have started playing cricket… that a champion team is denied a trophy,” he stated. “That too a hard-earned one… I feel we deserved it.”

He poignantly added that his real trophies were the 14 players and support staff in the dressing room, calling them “the real moments which I am taking back as lovely memories.”

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who addressed the media over two hours after the match, defended the ACC president’s position. “If the ACC has a president, then it’s his job to give the trophy. If you don’t want to take it from him, then how else will you get it?” he asked rhetorically.

Despite the absence of the physical cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) affirmed the team’s stellar achievement by announcing a reward of ₹21 Crore for the players and support staff, cementing the victory where the performance mattered more than the prize.

                                               

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