Asia Cup 2025 row: Mohsin Naqvi rues looking like a 'cartoon', BCCI hits back hard
The Asia Cup 2025 has turned out to be the most controversial edition in the history of the multi-nation tournament. Placing India and Pakistan in the same group led to the arch-rivals meeting thrice, with every fixture turning out to be more heated than the previous one. The subcontinental tournament concluded with the Men in Blue winning the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 final and completing a 3-0 sweep over their rivals. However, the controversy is yet to die down. Despite their unbeaten run, Suryakumar Yadav and his men have been deprived of the trophy. Meanwhile, ACC Chair Mohsin Naqvi continues to justify his erratic conduct, which saw the Pakistani minister walk away with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to receive the silverware from him.
Mohsin Naqvi stands firm on his stance as BCCI demands the Asia Cup trophy for the India vs Pakistan final champions
The Asia Cup 2025 concluded with the champion team returning without the trophy despite winning the India vs Pakistan final. Mohsin Naqvi, the ACC and PCB Chair, fled the premises with the trophy after the Men in Blue refused to receive the silverware from the Pakistani minister. On Monday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced that the board would present a “strong” objection to Naqvi’s conduct during the upcoming ICC gathering later this year.
Now, a new update has informed that tensions reached boiling point at the ACC meeting on Tuesday, where the BCCI launched a blistering attack on Mohsin Naqvi’s behaviour following the Asia Cup 2025 final. Inside the ACC forum, Rajeev Shukla, an executive board member and current BCCI vice-president, together with former treasurer Ashish Shelar, strongly condemned Naqvi’s actions. Their fiery exchange is being read as a clear sign that the standoff between the two boards is likely to intensify in the coming months.
A source present in the meeting has revealed that the BCCI stood firm on its stance, demanding that the trophy be delivered to India without further delay. Naqvi countered by claiming he had been “disrespected” and insisted he had no prior information that India would refuse to accept the silverware from his hands. Insiders further disclosed that Naqvi even admitted feeling humiliated, saying he had been made to look like a 'cartoon' in front of the cricketing world after the debacle on the Asia Cup 2025 final night.
“When the medals and the Asia Cup trophy will be handed over to India, this decision has been deferred as there was no solution found during the ACC meeting. Naqvi argued that he was disrespected and had no prior knowledge of the Indian team's decision not to receive the trophy to him. He claimed that the BCCI never wrote an email to him about such a situation,” sources revealed in the report.
“However, Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar, who represented the BCCI in the meeting, argued that the trophy is not a personal belonging of any individual, as it is a property of the ACC, and it should be handed over to the rightful winner. Since there was no amicable solution, the decision has been deferred to another meeting,” the report further added.
While the Asia Cup 2025 champions expressed their readiness to take the trophy from Emirates Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, Naqvi refused to step aside, insisting that he personally present the award. Ultimately, the evening ended with Naqvi storming out of the Dubai Stadium, reportedly taking the Asia Cup trophy back with him to his hotel. By standard procedure, however, the silverware should already be housed at the ACC headquarters, before being formally transferred to the BCCI office in Mumbai.
Three days on from the conclusion of the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 final, the dust shows no signs of settling. India may have defeated Pakistan to clinch their ninth Asia Cup crown, but the victory has been overshadowed by the trophy handover fiasco that has spiralled into an institutional tug-of-war. Now that what has arguably been the most ill-tempered Asia Cup in history has drawn to a close, the BCCI appears determined to secure a proper, regulation-driven delivery of the medals and the trophy through official ACC channels.
At the centre of this storm remains Mohsin Naqvi, whose role in the chaotic presentation has turned him into the lightning rod of criticism. Whatever the final resolution, Asia Cup 2025 is destined to be remembered not only for India’s triumph, but equally for the governance drama that engulfed its closing moments.
