In a stunning and unprecedented turn of events following the Asia Cup final, Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has openly condemned Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi for his actions during the trophy presentation. Saikia revealed that Naqvi controversially took the Asia Cup trophy with him from the dais after India’s victorious squad declined to accept it directly from him.
Speaking shortly after Suryakumar Yadav’s team celebrated their triumph on the champions’ podium without the physical trophy, Saikia stated, “We have decided not to take the trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan. However, this does not mean that the gentleman will simply walk away with the trophy.”
He further elaborated, “We arrived with our medals, and it is truly unfortunate and very unsporting. We sincerely hope that both the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible.”
This contentious situation resulted in a significant 90-minute delay in the presentation ceremony, which ultimately concluded with the trophy presenter leaving the stage with the prize rather than handing it to the winning Indian captain.
Saikia confirmed the BCCI’s unwavering resolve to address this serious matter at the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Board meeting, scheduled for the first week of November in Dubai. “We are going to lodge a very serious and very strong protest against the actions of the ACC chairperson,” he asserted.
In addition to the planned protest, Saikia also announced a substantial combined cash prize of ₹21 crore for India’s Asia Cup-winning squad, encompassing both players and support staff. He drew a compelling parallel between this cricketing success and “Operation Sindoor” in May, which occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attacks. “We are immensely proud of our team; they delivered magnificently on the cricket pitch. Our armed forces have also delivered on the border. This moment, replicated in Dubai, marks an excellent and momentous occasion for Indian cricket,” Saikia concluded.