Following the victory of the Indian cricket team in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, an unprecedented drama unfolded over the trophy, bringing Mohsin Naqvi into the spotlight. This
happened after the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi.
The presentation ceremony finally culminated with the champions celebrating their triumph without the Asia Cup trophy after they refused to accept the silverware from Naqvi, who stood firm at the stage.
Having won the Asia Cup, beating Pakistan for the third time in the space of two weeks, Suryakumar and the team refused to take the trophy from Naqvi, who left the dais and took the trophy with him on Sunday night.
Who Is Mohsin Naqvi?
Mohsin Naqvi is the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Besides, he is also the chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the interior minister of Pakistan. He is known for his vocal anti-India stand. He has repeatedly courted controversy with provocative remarks aimed at India, drawing criticism for escalating tensions through inflammatory rhetoric.
Last month, he echoed Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir’s analogy, likening India to a “shining Mercedes” and Pakistan to a “dumper truck loaded with stones,” warning of disastrous consequences in the event of a clash. More recently, Naqvi waded into the “provocative gestures” row sparked by cricketer Haris Rauf during the Asia Cup Super 4 match against India.
Rauf had mimicked fighter jet movements—widely interpreted as a dig at India’s military operations. Naqvi amplified the mockery by posting a video of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to depict the crash of an aircraft—a move widely seen as mocking Indian military actions and fueling an already strained diplomatic atmosphere.
Asia Cup Trophy Drama
There was a huge standoff before the presentation ceremony could begin. For more than an hour, the PCB chief stood on the stage with other dignitaries who were supposed to present the other awards. The Indian team stood nearby and the Pakistani side were in the dressing room. Reportedly, the Indians were told that the Pakistan minister would hand the trophy and they rejected it, saying they didn’t want to interact with him.
Naqvi is said to have stood firm on his stance that, as the chief of the ACC, only he would hand over the trophy. The Indian team was clear that they would have accepted the trophy from someone else but not Naqvi, in their bid not to ‘legitimise’, with complete backing from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
In response to the bizarre sequence of events, the BCCI said it will lodge a “very strong protest” in the next ICC meeting in November against the ACC chairman for walking away with the trophy.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia justified the team’s refusal, saying that India cannot accept the trophy from a person who is “waging a war against the country.”
India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final on Sunday. It was a closely contested game, going to the last over, with Tilak Varma’s unbeaten half-century and Kuldeep Yadav’s four wickets being the highlights.
