India’s cricket board, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is set to bring the contentious Asia Cup trophy handover issue before the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai, scheduled for November 4. This significant controversy initially sparked when India, after triumphing in the tournament, declined to receive the trophy from Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Consequently, the trophy was inexplicably removed from the presentation ceremony.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia affirmed that India had formally communicated its concerns to the Asian Cricket Council approximately ten days prior, but a response has yet to be received.
“We’ve reached out to the ACC with a letter ten days ago, but there’s been no positive reply,” Saikia stated to ANI. “Our stance remains unchanged. The trophy will definitely come to us, as India won it hands down. The only detail left to finalize is the timeline for its handover.” He further underscored the BCCI’s firm position on not accepting the trophy from Pakistan’s Interior Minister. “Had we intended to receive it from him, we would have done so on the day of the final. Our position is clear: we are not accepting it from that gentleman. So, while the trophy is ours, it will not be presented by his hands.”
Amidst this ongoing diplomatic impasse concerning the trophy, the victorious Indian team devised their own spirited celebration. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates humorously mimicked former captain Rohit Sharma’s distinctive slow walk from the 2024 T20 World Cup final, playfully lifting an imaginary trophy.
This refusal to accept the physical trophy highlights the lingering cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, which continued even after India secured a five-wicket victory in the tournament.