Mohsin Naqvi was elected the Asian Cricket Council chief in April 2025. Having been decided on a rotational basis, Pakistan was supposed to take over from Sri Lanka and so they did, as Shammi Silva handed over responsibilities to Naqvi.
It was obvious that Naqvi’s tenure at the helm wouldn’t come without its fair share of skirmishes with India. His biggest challenge back then was hosting the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, which he eventually did in Dubai, but since then, over the past year, his relationship with India has just worsened.
Let us take a look at the timeline of events from Naqvi’s appointment as ACC chief to the present:
April 2025: Within weeks of Naqvi’s appointment, 26 tourists were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam and all hell broke
loose from there on. This event later impacted cricket diplomacy between India and Pakistan, especially with Naqvi being the Pakistan Cricket Board chief as well.
May 2025: A four-day cross-border conflict and subsequent security operations pushed India-Pakistan diplomatic ties to a new low. With Naqvi serving as Pakistan’s Interior Minister alongside his cricket administration roles as well, the geopolitical tensions further strained relations with BCCI.
The diplomatic chill led to a complete halt in cross-border sporting exchanges and official visits for major ICC and ACC events.
September 2025: The men’s Asia Cup, which was supposed to be hosted by India, moved to the UAE. After winning the men’s final on September 28, Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian team refused to accept the trophy, objecting to Naqvi presenting the silverware.
Naqvi, who is both Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and the nation’s Interior Minister, was cited as the reason for the refusal amidst heightened geopolitical tensions. Naqvi left the venue with the physical trophy after a prolonged deadlock, leaving the Indian team to celebrate on the podium with an imaginary trophy.
October 2025: Naqvi dismissed the critical reports as propaganda on X, saying that he had been ready to present the trophy on match day and remained willing to do so.
Naqvi added that if the Indian team or BCCI wanted the silverware, they were welcome to collect it in person from the ACC headquarters in Dubai. Displeased by Naqvi taking the physical trophy and medals back to Pakistan, BCCI labelled his actions ‘unsportsmanlike’.
November 2025: BCCI was prepared to raise the unresolved trophy handover issue at the ICC meetings, which started in Dubai on November 4. But reports suggested that Naqvi was unlikely to attend the particular session amidst the ongoing diplomatic tensions.
After the November discussions, Naqvi rejected India’s request for the silverware to be delivered through an alternative channel. He maintained that the matter was outside the formal agenda and that the ACC wouldn’t compromise, insisting that India’s skipper would have to collect the trophy from the ACC headquarters if they wanted it.
January 2026: Naqvi cast doubt on Pakistan’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after the ICC removed Bangladesh from the tournament. He met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on January 26 to discuss the issue, making it clear that the final call on the national team’s travel and participation would rest with the government rather than the PCB.
Naqvi accused the ICC of applying double standards over Bangladesh’s exclusion after the BCB refused to play its scheduled games in India.
February 2026: Early in the month, Naqvi deferred decisions on Pakistan’s tournament involvement, leaving the final call to Sharif amid speculation of a boycott of their February 15 match against India in Colombo.
After diplomatic outreach and appeals from neighbouring cricket boards, the Pakistan government instructed the national team to play the February 15 game, averting a potential crisis.
On February 15, Naqvi travelled to Colombo to meet the Pakistan team and support staff ahead of the high-profile clash in a bid to boost morale.
May 2026: Naqvi participated remotely in the ICC Board of Directors meeting held on the sidelines of the IPL final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He opted against travelling to India amidst ongoing geopolitical sensitivities, instead using the remote participation option permitted by the ICC.
September 2026: Almost a year after the men refused to take the Asia Cup trophy, the Indian women’s cricket team did the same, as the standoff between BCCI and Naqvi continued.
