India Refuses Asia Cup Trophy — and Mohsin Naqvi Refuses to Budge

What is a trophy worth if the champions refuse to take it? 

That was the question hanging in the air after the Asia Cup 2025 final, where India won the title but walked away without the prize that symbolizes victory

At an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Dubai, Rajiv Shukla, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), pressed ACC President Mohsin Naqvi to hand over the trophy. But Naqvi, who also chairs the Pakistan Cricket Board, refused to bend protocol.

“If the Indian team wants the trophy, the captain can come to the ACC office and collect it from me,” Naqvi said.

Why was the request even made? Naqvi reminded members, “This item was not on the ACC meeting agenda.”

The episode underscored more than just a dispute over silverware. It spotlighted the deep freeze between India and Pakistan that had already spilled onto the field.

A Ceremony in Stalemate

After their five-wicket victory over Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian team skipped handshakes, refused the trophy and delayed the closing ceremony by nearly an hour. 

In the end, the trophy was sent back from the stadium — a symbol left homeless.

Presenter Simon Doull told the crowd, “I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”

Individual honors were still distributed: Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma took home prizes, while Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha received the runners-up check. 

Kuldeep later bagged the award for leading wicket-taker, and Abhishek Sharma was named Player of the Tournament with 314 runs in seven innings.

But the grand moment — the trophy lift — never happened.

Victory Overshadowed

India’s triumph should have been celebrated. 

Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a platform with his half-century, but Kuldeep’s breakthrough sparked a collapse, with eight wickets tumbling for just 33 runs in 38 balls.

India chased down the target of 147 with grit, sealing another title over their fiercest rivals.

Yet the victory was overshadowed by politics and pride.