Star India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has taken a cheeky dig at the Pakistan Cricket Board and Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who ‘ran away’ with the Asia Cup trophy after the victorious
Indian team refused to receive it from him due to cross-border tensions.
India beat their arch-rivals Pakistan in the final by seven wickets but ended up leaving empty-handed, without the trophy. This was because Naqvi’s ego got the better of him; he refused to accept India’s demand that they wouldn’t receive the trophy from someone representing Pakistan cricket as the chairman of the PCB.
Since then, multiple discussions have taken place between him and representatives of BCCI, but the problem remains unresolved.
“Cheers for getting the cup delivered,” Chakravarthy said with a blank expression in the Breakfast with Champions show, making host Gaurav Kapoor laugh out loud.
Notably, Chakravarthy posted a funny picture of himself with a coffee cup after India’s Asia Cup win, which went viral on social media. Kapoor narrated how he and former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar had a good laugh on seeing it.
“I knew we were going to win because by the time we won the second match against Pakistan, I was sure that if we met them in the finals, we would win. So I had planned the picture,” Chakravarthy narrated.
“But after the match, there was nothing next to me (laughs). Just a coffee cup. So I went ahead with it,” Chakravarthy added.
With the trophy deadlock persisting, Naqvi is facing intense scrutiny. BCCI is moving to have him sanctioned by world cricket and removed from the ICC board, according to reports, while his reputation takes a serious hit.
The controversy started when India declined to shake hands with Pakistan after the first of three Asia Cup clashes on September 14. After India’s win, the undefeated batters exited the field and locked the dressing room from the inside.
