The Indian cricket board, BCCI, has communicated through an official email to Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Asian Cricket Council, requesting the return of the Asia Cup trophy to India. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia disclosed in an exclusive statement to India Today that they are anticipating a response from Naqvi. If there is no satisfactory reply, BCCI plans to escalate the issue to the International Cricket Council (ICC) via an official communication. Saikia emphasized that they are proceeding methodically and will persist in pursuing the matter.
Following the final match, the Asia Cup trophy remains at the Asian Cricket Council office in Dubai after the Indian team declined to accept it from Naqvi during the post-match presentation. The BCCI has garnered support from the cricket boards of Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, as reported by PTI, urging Naqvi to hand over the trophy to India.
A source within the ACC mentioned that the BCCI Secretary, ACC representative Rajeev Shukla, and representatives from other member boards, including Sri Lanka Cricket and Afghanistan, had jointly written to the ACC president last week regarding the trophy transfer. However, Naqvi responded by insisting that a BCCI representative must travel to Dubai to retrieve the trophy, leading to a deadlock. BCCI has firmly stated that they will not accept the trophy from Naqvi, indicating a potential resolution at an upcoming ICC meeting.
In a written correspondence accessed by India Today, the BCCI demanded a formal explanation from the ACC on why the awards were withheld despite India’s victory in the competition. The letter stressed the immediate handover of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and medals to the Indian team, along with a clear account of the circumstances surrounding the decision to withhold the awards. Additionally, BCCI required assurance that such deviations from standard procedures would not recur in future ACC tournaments. The BCCI set a 48-hour ultimatum for confirming the trophy’s current location and the handover process to the Indian cricket board.
After a thrilling victory against Pakistan, the Indian team opted not to accept the medals and trophy from Naqvi, prompting him to forego the traditional presentation ceremony and remove the trophy from the scene. During the ACC meeting on September 30, BCCI criticized Naqvi’s actions and emphasized that the Asia Cup rightfully belongs to the ACC, advocating for the official trophy presentation to the victorious Indian team led by Suryakumar Yadav.
In response to Naqvi’s refusal to return the trophy even after apologizing to ACC member boards and insisting that India’s captain retrieve it personally in Dubai, the BCCI rejected the condition. The ongoing dispute has heightened tensions between the two cricketing nations, overshadowing India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph.
The disagreement between BCCI and ACC regarding the Asia Cup trophy exchange has led to strained relations, casting a cloud over the outcome of India’s victory in the tournament.