BCCI set to take Asia Cup trophy dispute to ICC, dismisses PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s proposal

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to take the ongoing Asia Cup trophy handover dispute to the International Cricket Council (ICC) after failing to reach a resolution with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and its president, Mohsin Naqvi.

The Asia Cup 2025 trophy, which India won by defeating Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 28, remains in the ACC headquarters in Dubai. The Indian team had declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi—who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)—at the post-match presentation ceremony.

According to BCCI officials, Naqvi later suggested that India could collect the trophy from the ACC office in Dubai. However, the BCCI formally objected to this, demanding that the trophy be handed to the winning team through an official ceremony, as per standard practice.

After BCCI’s written request to the ACC went unanswered, the board decided to escalate the matter. A senior BCCI official told India Today that the board would raise the issue at the upcoming ICC board meeting, scheduled from December 4 to 7 in Dubai. “We cannot accept this casual approach. The trophy rightfully belongs to Team India and must be handed over formally,” the official said.

The dispute has already been discussed at the ACC’s Annual General Meeting on September 30, where BCCI representatives, including vice-president Rajeev Shukla, criticised Naqvi’s handling of the situation. Shukla maintained that the Asia Cup trophy should have been presented immediately to the Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and retained under ACC supervision until the next edition.

While reports from Pakistan initially hinted at Naqvi’s willingness to hold a formal handover event on November 10, no such confirmation has come through. Instead, Naqvi reaffirmed the ACC’s position in a detailed response letter, saying the council would “not indulge in petty politics” and urging all parties to maintain the sport’s neutrality.

Naqvi also contended that the BCCI’s last-minute refusal to participate in the presentation was unprecedented and uncommunicated. “It was only moments before the ceremony that BCCI’s representatives informed us the Indian team would not receive the trophy,” he wrote, reiterating that the ACC had made multiple attempts to resolve the issue diplomatically.

Despite these exchanges, the standoff persists. With support from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan cricket boards, the BCCI is now counting on the ICC to intervene and ensure that the Asia Cup trophy is formally handed over to India — closing a controversy that has cast a shadow over one of the region’s most prominent tournaments.