Former ICC umpire Anil Chaudhary has delivered a strong verdict on the ongoing Asia Cup trophy row where he criticised Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi who ran away with the trophy. It has been more than two weeks since the Asia Cup 2025 final concluded but the Men in Blue still haven’t received the trophy.
The controversy started when he walked off with the trophy when the Indian players refused to take it from him. Since then Naqvi has stood firm on his stand that if Indian players want the trophy then they can come and collect it from him. Speaking on the Raunac Podcast, Chaudhary expressed disbelief over the incident, calling Naqvi’s actions “bizarre” and unprecedented.
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“Anybody could have handed over the trophy. There were plenty of individuals representing the UAE authority as well. Nothing states that you have to collect the trophy from just one person. It has no mention in the rules but woh Sajjan trophy leke chale gaye (he took away the trophy). Sajjan also has another meaning. Like I said, there’s no rule that only one person has to hand over the trophy,” said Chaudhary.
“I don’t even know who he is,” he added when he was questioned if he had ever met him.
“I just know Mohsin Raza. I only saw it in the media. Yeh coat-pant waalo se zyada milta nahi main (I don’t meet people who wear coats and pants). I have never seen a trophy not be given. In local cricket, yes, there must have been instances, but I can’t recall,” he added.
“There’s no such guideline. The handshake culture has come into existence since the last 15-16 years. When I started officiating in the Ranji trophy, there was no such practice. Yes, the captains used to shake hands but not all players. Today, the players shake hands with almost 70 people. This is just a gesture. It’s up to you whether you want to or not,” Chaudhary explained.
There is still no resolution in sight and the Asia Cup trophy row still continues with many fans and cricket experts criticising Mohsin Naqvi’s stand.
