No Trophy for India: Naqvi leaves with Asia Cup silverware after ceremony

BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia condemned ACC and PCB president Mohsin Naqvi's move to take the trophy and medals away from the venue.

In one of the most extraordinary episodes in cricket history, the Asia Cup 2025 ended with champions India without getting trophy after winning the final against Pakistan as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi walking away with the silverware and medals.

 

Despite sealing a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the final, the Indian team stood firm in its decision not to receive the trophy from Naqvi, a serving minister in Pakistan. The standoff triggered unprecedented chaos at the presentation ceremony, overshadowing what had been a pulsating contest on the field.

 

Suryakumar: “Never seen anything like this”

 

 

At the post-match press conference, captain Suryakumar Yadav said he had never witnessed a winning team denied its trophy.

 

“I think this is one thing I have never seen since I started playing and following cricket — that a champion side is not handed its trophy, especially one that was so hard-earned,” he said. “For me, the real trophies are in the dressing room — my teammates and support staff who stood together through this journey.”

 

Suryakumar added that the refusal was a collective decision by the players. “No one told us to do it. It was our choice,” he emphasised.

 

Why India refused the trophy

 

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later explained that the decision was deliberate. “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan,” he told ANI.

 

Saikia, however, condemned Naqvi’s move to take the trophy and medals away from the venue. “That does not mean the gentleman can carry away the trophy with him. It is very unfortunate, and we expect it to be returned to India as soon as possible.”

 

BCCI to protest at ICC meet

 

The BCCI is preparing to escalate the matter formally at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) conference scheduled in Dubai this November. “We will launch a very serious and strong protest against the act of the ACC chairperson,” Saikia said.   

#WATCH | Mumbai | BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia says, "We have decided not to take the #AsiaCup2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. So we decided not to take it from him. But that does not mean that the gentleman will take… pic.twitter.com/ZdFy57obrM

— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2025

  Check India vs Pakistan final full scorecard here | Asia Cup 2025  

Why the controversy erupted

 

The final at the Dubai International Stadium had all the makings of a classic, but the drama after the last ball eclipsed the cricket. For weeks, India had signalled its unwillingness to engage in symbolic gestures with Pakistan — no handshakes, no joint press conferences, and no customary captains’ photoshoot. Naqvi’s role on the presentation stage proved the breaking point.

 

The confusion: A trophy never awarded

 

The ceremony was delayed for more than an hour as officials scrambled for a solution. While individual awards were presented, the main trophy was kept aside and later removed from the stage altogether. Spectators who stayed back vented their anger, booing Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” as Naqvi walked on stage.

 

Eventually, the Pakistani team emerged from its dressing room nearly an hour later to receive its medals, while India stood its ground, refusing to collect the winners’ silverware.

 

The timeline after Rinku’s winning shot

 

• 10:57 pm (local time): Rinku Singh struck the winning boundary, sealing India’s ninth Asia Cup title.

• 11:15 pm: Indian players refused to approach the stage as organisers readied the presentation.

• 11:35 pm: Simon Doull announced that the Indian team would not collect its award.

• 11:40 pm: Naqvi took the dais to loud boos; the trophy was taken backstage.

• 11:50 pm: Pakistani players emerged to collect their medals amid chants of “Indiaaaa, Indiaaaa.”

 

Suryakumar Yadav's press conference after not getting Asia Cup Trophy   

    Political undertones

 

The boycott came against the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor earlier this year. Naqvi had previously drawn criticism for cryptic social media posts mocking Indian losses and for urging ICC sanctions against Suryakumar Yadav for showing solidarity with the armed forces.  India vs Pakistan final video highlights   

 

A final remembered for politics, not cricket

 

On the field, Pakistan collapsed from 113/1 to 146 all out, with Kuldeep Yadav’s four wickets turning the tide. India’s chase was anchored by Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 and supported by Shivam Dube’s brisk 33. Yet, the night will be remembered not for Varma’s composure or Rinku Singh’s winning shot, but for the images of an empty podium and a trophy leaving the stadium in the hands of the very official India had rejected.

 

The Asia Cup 2025, instead of being celebrated as India’s ninth continental triumph, will go down as the final where the champions refused to lift their prize — turning a cricketing spectacle into a geopolitical flashpoint.