Mohsin Naqvi, who ‘stole’ the Asia Cup trophy after India’s final victory, is now being celebrated as a national hero in Pakistan. The honour aims to recognize his defiant move amid escalating tensions with India.
October 3, 2025: The post-match presentation of the Asia Cup 2025 final on Sunday, September 28, descended into unprecedented drama at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi reportedly walked away with the winner’s trophy after a fiery standoff with the victorious Indian team.
India, who defeated Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the title, stood firm in their refusal to accept the silverware and medals from Naqvi, citing his dual role as a senior Pakistan government minister and the heightened geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
The Trophy Handover Fiasco
The controversy began when the Indian team, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, declined to participate in the presentation ceremony when Naqvi took the podium. Sources indicated that the team had previously informed ACC officials they would not accept the award from him and had instead requested that the trophy be handed over by Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni.
However, Naqvi, who is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), reportedly rejected the request, insisting on conducting the presentation himself. As the Indian team refused to budge from the ground, the ceremony was delayed for over an hour. Eventually, with the impasse unbroken, Naqvi reportedly instructed an official to remove the winner’s trophy and the medals from the venue altogether, leaving the champions to celebrate without their prize.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later slammed Naqvi’s actions as “extremely unfortunate and unsportsmanlike,” stating that while India consciously refused to accept the trophy from him, it did not give him the right to take the award and medals with him. Naqvi, however, has since denied apologising to the BCCI and challenged the Indian team to collect the trophy from the ACC office in Dubai.
Pakistan Set to Honour Naqvi
Amidst the diplomatic fallout and the ongoing controversy over the missing trophy, reports from various Pakistani media portals suggest that Mohsin Naqvi is set to be honoured for his actions.
It is reported that Naqvi will be presented with a Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal in Karachi. The honour is reportedly being granted for his “firm and principled stance” against the Indian team and the BCCI’s demands during the contentious trophy handover. The award ceremony is expected to be a major event, with high-profile political leaders potentially in attendance.
The incident marks another low point in the political and sporting relations between India and Pakistan, with the matter expected to be escalated to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in its upcoming conference in November.