Devajit Saikia said the BCCI hopes the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will land at its Wankhede Stadium office in Mumbai one day
He said there is no timeline yet for the trophies to arrive from Dubai
Both Indian teams refused to accept the silverware from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board hopes the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will reach India from Dubai “one day”, even as there is no timeline yet for that to happen. Both trophies remain at the Asian Cricket Council’s headquarters after India’s men’s and women’s teams refused to accept the silverware from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi.
“Asia Cup trophies, we hope they will come one day. I will not give you a timeline, but I can assure you that both the trophies will come up and land in this BCCI head office at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai,” Saikia said while speaking to the media.
Saikia said the BCCI remains positive and hopeful about the trophies arriving in Mumbai. The issue has stayed unresolved after both Indian teams declined to take the silverware from Naqvi in their respective tournaments.
Dubai Trophy Standoff
The stand-off spans both teams. Last week, Harmanpreet Kaur-led India skipped the presentation ceremony after winning the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, with Naqvi present on the dais.
That followed a similar episode last year. India’s men’s team also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister.
After the Women’s Asia Cup final, Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla presented Nandni Sharma with the fielding medal. Shortly afterwards, Naqvi presented the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka at the official presentation ceremony.
Asian Games Implications
The dispute may not end here. Similar scenes could emerge at the Asian Games, where the cricket competition is being held under the aegis of the ACC and both the Indian men’s and women’s teams are among the contenders for gold.
If Naqvi is present at the medal presentation ceremony there, it could add another layer of uncertainty to the event in Japan.
Saikia’s latest comments also come as Naqvi’s tenure as ACC president nears its end. His current term runs until April 2027 and his future at the helm depends on whether ACC members decide to extend it.
