India to raise Asia Cup Trophy row at ICC meeting

DUBAI (Dunya News) – India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final has been overshadowed by a heated controversy after the Indian cricket team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of its cricket board.

The presentation ceremony at Dubai International Cricket Stadium was delayed by more than an hour before being abruptly shortened, with the winner’s trophy withdrawn from the stage.

Indian board secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the team would not accept the award from Naqvi and said the matter will be raised at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) meeting in Dubai in early November.

What sparked the row?

Saikia accused the ACC chief of politicising the tournament, saying the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had followed its government’s stance from the beginning. He announced that India would formally protest against Naqvi at the ICC gathering. Saikia also revealed that the BCCI had decided not to take the trophy from him as he was a senior member of Pakistan’s government.

India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

Indian players Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav collected their individual honours but did not acknowledge Naqvi. Saikia also announced a reward of 210 million rupees (about $2.5m) for the Indian team’s performance.

Asia Cup Final

In the high-pressure final, Pakistan posted 146 all out despite an opening stand of 84 runs between Sahibzada Farhan (57) and Fakhar Zaman (46). Their collapse saw the last nine wickets fall for only 33 runs, with Kuldeep Yadav taking 4-30.

India stumbled to 20-3 in reply but recovered through Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69, supported by Sanju Samson (24) and Shivam Dube (33), sealing a five-wicket win. The triumph meant India defeated Pakistan three times during the eight-team tournament.

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Pakistan captain Salman Agha admitted his side’s batting collapse proved decisive, saying: “It’s a tough pill to swallow right now. We could not rotate the strike properly and lost too many wickets.”

Pakistan-India rivalry

The final was not the only flashpoint. Throughout the Asia Cup, Indian players avoided handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts, both at the toss and after matches. During the trophy unveiling earlier in the tournament, India’s captain also declined to pose for a joint photograph with Pakistan’s skipper.

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The refusal to accept the trophy and medals from Naqvi follows earlier reports that the Indian team had formally informed the ACC of their stance, leading to the trophy being withdrawn from the field. Pakistani players received their runner-up medals in a muted ceremony before mostly empty stands.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the victory on social media, referencing “#OperationSindoor” in a nod to military operations, while President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the team for their unbeaten run in the tournament.