Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), ultimately acknowledged his mistake and apologised to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the title controversy a few days after the Asia Cup 2025 ended.
He has insisted that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav pick up the trophy and medals in person from the ACC office in Dubai, nevertheless, and has refused to give them to him. After India defeated Pakistan in the final in Dubai, the issue started, but they were stuck standing for more than an hour because Naqvi insisted on giving the trophy himself. India had previously stated that it would not accept the cutlery straight from him due to political considerations. The team asked Khalid Al Zarooni, the vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, to perform the honours.
Suryakumar Yadav should pick up the trophy in person, according to Naqvi.
The trophy and medals were removed from the ground after Naqvi rejected the request. As host Simon Doull declared on live broadcast that India will not be getting their prizes, videos quickly surfaced showing ACC personnel hurrying the cutlery out. Two days later, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla urged Naqvi to release the trophy during the ACC meeting in Dubai. An article in India Today claims that although Naqvi expressed regret for the poor management, he placed the blame on India’s unwillingness to assist. He went on to say that skipper Suryakumar Yadav needed to physically attend the ACC office if the Men in Blue were to receive their award.
The apology, meanwhile, admitted that he was partially to blame for the mayhem but not for his choice to deny the prize. The PCB president allegedly told colleagues that India’s attitude made him look like a cartoon character and that he would not applaud the victorious team until ACC members compelled him to do so. This strategy infuriated BCCI officials even more, who reminded him that the trophy belonged to the ACC and not the PCB chairman personally.
Vice-president Rajeev Shukla and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia both denounced Naqvi’s actions as inappropriate and unsporting. They insisted on receiving the trophy right away, emphasising that India had earned it on the pitch. At its next meeting in November, the BCCI plans to take the issue to the ICC because Naqvi has refused to comply with the demand.
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