Asia Cup Trophygate: Mohsin Naqvi And The Case Of 'Missing' Silverware

India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket final at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on September 28, 2025, clinching their ninth Asia Cup title. However, as of October 17, the trophy has not been formally handed over to the Indian team.

The trophy is currently secured at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) office, located within the International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy complex in Dubai. This unusual situation arose due to a controversy involving the trophy handover ceremony.

Instead of presenting the trophy on the field, ACC president Mohsin Naqvi -- who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) -- left the stadium with the trophy. The trophy was subsequently deposited at the ACC office, and according to reports, it cannot be moved without Naqvi's explicit authorisation.

This action has prompted official inquiries from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has formally demanded clarification and resolution from both the ACC and the ICC. The BCCI's formal demand referenced the sequence of events at the handover and the custody instructions placed on the trophy.

Naqvi's Dual Role And Escalating Trophy Controversy

The core of the Asia Cup trophy controversy centres on Mohsin Naqvi, who holds dual roles as ACC president and PCB chairman.

During the post-match ceremony, Indian players refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, an unprecedented move in international cricket, due to diplomatic discord and Naqvi's public statements about the match and Indo-Pak bilateral relations.

Naqvi's subsequent actions -- including removing the trophy from the stadium and locking it in the ACC's Dubai facility -- have been widely criticised. The BCCI has called for accountability, arguing that withholding the trophy is a breach of sporting propriety.

This incident has sparked a broader debate about the politicisation of cricket governance in Asia and the neutrality of cricket administrators who hold overlapping roles.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has reportedly initiated proceedings to seek Mohsin Naqvi's removal from his position as the ACC president, citing breaches of protocol and conflict of interest.

Rajeev Shukla and Ashish Shelar, the BCCI representatives, confronted Naqvi during an ACC meeting in September, stating that the trophy belonged to legitimate winners and was not any individual's property.

Naqvi faces specific accusations, including violation of ceremonial protocols, conflict of interest due to his dual role as Pakistan's Interior Minister, and mixing politics with sport by letting national sentiment interfere with his role as an impartial cricket administrator.

India Vs Pakistan: Pahalgam Attack Context

The trophy controversy cannot be fully understood without the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians in April 2025.

This terror attack, claimed initially by The Resistance Front (a proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba), triggered a military response from India codenamed 'Operation Sindoor' in May with missile strikes targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.

The subsequent four-day military conflict represented the most intense use of force between the nuclear-armed neighbours since the 1971 war, with both sides exchanging missile and drone strikes across multiple regions.

When Will India Receive The Asia Cup Trophy?

The unresolved status of the Asia Cup trophy has drawn high-level intervention from both the ACC and ICC. The ACC convened an Annual General Meeting on September 30, 2025.

Representatives from the five Test-playing nations under ACC -- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan -- agreed to address it during the next ACC meeting, scheduled for early next month. But with Naqvi's presence uncertain, the controversy could only escalate. Naqvi also skipped the ICC Annual Conference in July.

The impasse over the Asia Cup is unprecedented in the history of international cricket, with trophies typically handed over immediately after the final, regardless of political tensions.

Previous Asia Cup editions witnessed smooth handovers even during periods of heightened India-Pakistan tensions.

The ICC has yet to issue a formal statement. Jay Shah, formerly the BCCI secretary and ACC president, is now the chairman of ICC.