In a rather unusual turn of events, the Asia Cup 2025 trophy has not yet found its rightful home with the Indian cricket team – the champions of this year’s tournament. Despite a dominant victory over Pakistan in the final held in Dubai on September 28, the trophy remains locked up at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) headquarters.
The reason? A tense standoff involving the ACC Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and currently serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. According to sources, the Indian team declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi during the post-match presentation. Following this, Naqvi reportedly walked away with the trophy, and it was taken straight to the ACC office in Dubai.
Since then, the trophy has not moved. Instructions have been issued that it must not be handed over or removed from the ACC premises without direct approval from Naqvi himself. This is highly unusual in the world of cricket, where trophies are typically presented on the field to the winning team as a moment of celebration and pride.
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The incident appears to be yet another reflection of the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which has further strained diplomatic and sporting ties.
While cricket is often seen as a unifying force in the region, moments like these highlight how political tensions can spill over into the sport. For the Indian players and fans, the lack of a trophy handover has put a dampener on what was otherwise a thrilling and hard-fought win.
As of now, the ACC has not issued an official statement about the trophy’s status or whether it will eventually be handed over to the Indian team. Cricket lovers across Asia will hope that the matter is resolved soon – because at the end of the day, cricket should be about sportsmanship, not standoffs.
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