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Team India, who defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final on September 28, have yet to receive the championship trophy. The issue arose when the Indian players reportedly refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi during the post-match presentation. Following the incident, Naqvi took the trophy with him to his hotel and later left it at the ACC headquarters before returning to Pakistan.
Naqvi had later remarked that “no one can touch the trophy without my permission,” adding that Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav could personally visit the ACC office to collect it if he wished.
BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia confirmed to India Today that an email has been sent to the ACC demanding the handover of the trophy to the rightful winners.
“We have written to the ACC, stating that the trophy must be given to the champion team. We are awaiting their reply. If there is no response, or it is unsatisfactory, we will raise the issue with the ICC,” Saikia said.
Background of the controversy
During the presentation ceremony, Naqvi—attending as the ACC Chairman—was reportedly informed that the Indian team would not receive awards directly from him. The players were, however, open to accepting the trophy from any other ACC official. Naqvi insisted on doing the honours himself, leading to the ceremony’s abrupt end. He then left the stage, taking both the trophy and medals.
This incident followed a tense tournament where Indian and Pakistani players avoided handshakes, and Pakistan’s team was seen making “6-0” gestures referencing their disputed claim of shooting down six Indian jets during Operation Sindoor.
In a later statement, Naqvi defended his actions, saying,
“I was not told in writing that the Indian team wouldn’t take the trophy from me. I was just standing there like a cartoon for no reason.”
The standoff has now escalated into a formal dispute between the BCCI and ACC, with the ICC potentially being drawn in if Naqvi refuses to comply.
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