Mohsin Naqvi rejects BCCI’s demand to hand over Asia Cup trophy, sets new condition: ‘If Indian team wants…’

Naqvi rejected Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla’s repeated demand to hand over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has reportedly laid out a new condition for handing over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy to the Indian team. The PCB chief, who is also the chairman for Asian Cricket Council (ACC), has said that India team captain Suryakumar Yadav must collect the trophy in person from the ACC office, Pakistani media reported.

This came during a routine ACC meeting on Tuesday in Dubai, where Naqvi rejected Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla’s repeated demand to hand over the Asia Cup 2025 trophy.

“After further insistence, he (Naqvi) remarked that if the Indian team wanted the trophy, its captain should visit the ACC office personally to receive it,” according to a Geo News report.

During the meeting, no decision was taken over the handover of the trophy.

Asia Cup 2025 trophy row: Here's what happened

The controversy began after the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan interior minister.

India scored an emphatic victory against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final held on Sunday. The ‘Men in Blue’ defeated Pakistan twice earlier in the same tournament making it 3-0 clean sweep.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had said on Sunday night after India won the Asia Cup trophy that the Indian team cannot "accept a trophy from a person" who represents a country that is "waging a war against our country".

Speaking to ANI, Saikia said that team India decided not to take the trophy from Naqvi.

He also reacted strongly to Naqvi's act of taking away the trophy and medals with him. Saikia stated that during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Conference in November, a "serious and strong" protest would be launched against Naqvi.

"We have decided not to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. So we decided not to take it from him. However, that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him, along with the medals. Therefore, it is very unfortunate and unsportsmanlike, and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible. There is an ICC conference in November in Dubai. In the next conference, we are going to launch a very serious and very strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson," he said.