BCCI Moves ICC Over Asia Cup Trophy Standoff
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially escalated the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 trophy handover dispute to the International Cricket Council (ICC), marking the latest twist in a controversy that has fused sport with diplomacy. The issue, which began after India’s victory in the T20 Asia Cup final against Pakistan in September, has deepened following the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s refusal to release the winner’s trophy to Team India.
According to a senior BCCI official, the matter will be raised at the ICC board meeting in Dubai from December 4 to 7, as the board “cannot accept” Naqvi’s conditions for handing over the trophy. The official added that Naqvi’s actions amounted to a breach of sportsmanship and administrative ethics, prompting the BCCI to seek ICC’s intervention to uphold cricketing protocol.
How the Controversy Began
The standoff traces back to September 28, 2025, when India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a tense Asia Cup final held in Dubai. The victory, however, was followed by an unexpected diplomatic turn. During the post-match presentation, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team declined to accept the trophy directly from Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
The decision reportedly followed a directive from the Indian government discouraging any ceremonial engagements with Pakistani political figures, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which claimed the lives of several Indian soldiers. Instead of the traditional handover, the Indian players chose to dedicate their win to the fallen soldiers, a move that resonated emotionally across India but offended Naqvi and sparked a diplomatic storm.
Naqvi’s Response and Escalation
Reacting to the perceived snub, Naqvi walked away from the ceremony with the trophy and later announced that it would be kept at the ACC headquarters in Dubai. He further declared that the BCCI could send an official or player to collect it in person, a condition the BCCI immediately rejected.
In what was seen as an unprecedented breach of protocol, Naqvi reportedly refused to release the trophy “without an in-person collection” by an Indian representative. The BCCI countered that Naqvi, in his role as ACC chief, had no authority to withhold or politicize a tournament trophy that rightfully belonged to the champion team.
Naqvi’s stance drew sharp criticism from several cricket administrators and fans alike, who accused him of using the trophy as a tool of political posturing rather than respecting the spirit of the sport.
BCCI’s Diplomatic Counter and Regional Support
In the weeks that followed, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla formally wrote to both the ACC and its member boards demanding the trophy’s unconditional release. The letter described Naqvi’s actions as “unsporting and unbecoming of a cricket administrator,” warning that India would escalate the matter to the ICC if left unresolved.
The BCCI’s stand gained support from other Asian boards, including Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, both of whom urged Naqvi to restore “decorum and neutrality” in ACC proceedings. Afghanistan even co-signed a statement with India condemning the “politicization of cricketing traditions.”
Naqvi, however, remained unmoved. In televised remarks, he insisted that “the trophy belongs to India but must be handed over formally in Dubai,” accusing the BCCI of “mixing politics with sport.” The Indian board dismissed the suggestion as “a manipulative attempt to justify misconduct.”
ICC’s Role and the Road Ahead
Having exhausted diplomatic channels, the BCCI will now present its case before the ICC, accusing Naqvi of “exceeding his mandate as ACC president” and violating international cricketing conventions. The board has also asked the ICC to lay down clearer guidelines for administrative neutrality within regional cricket bodies.
While the ICC has yet to comment officially, sources indicate that the matter will be discussed as part of the governance and ethics agenda at the December meeting. If accepted, it could become the first disciplinary review of an ACC chief for misuse of authority.
Beyond a Trophy, a Test of Integrity
The Asia Cup trophy dispute has grown far larger than a matter of ceremony—it has become a symbol of the fragile intersection between politics and sport in South Asia. For India, it is a question of principle and protocol; for Pakistan, one of prestige.
As the ICC prepares to deliberate, the outcome will not only decide who holds the trophy, but also whether cricket’s governing bodies can maintain neutrality and integrity in the face of political pressures. The Asia Cup 2025 may be over on the field, but in the corridors of international cricket, the real contest for honour is just beginning.
(With agency inputs)
