Mohsin Naqvi locks Asia Cup trophy in Dubai office, tells not to move it or hand it to India in his absence: Report

Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, reportedly carried the trophy off the presentation stage after the Indian team refused to accept it from him during the post-match ceremony held on September 28. Tensions between India and Pakistan were already high following the terror attack in Pahalgam, and the tournament saw a significant breakdown in diplomatic sporting gestures between the two nations.

"As of today, the trophy is still in ACC offices in Dubai with clear instructions from Naqvi that it should not be moved or handed over to anyone without his approval and in-person presence," a source close to Naqvi told PTI.

The source further added, "Naqvi has given clear instructions that only he will hand over the trophy in person (whenever that happens) to the Indian team or BCCI."

The episode has deepened the already fraught atmosphere surrounding the tournament, which was marred throughout by Indo-Pak hostilities. Indian players notably avoided handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts during the event, and both camps engaged in veiled and open political gestures on the field.

Naqvi himself stirred further controversy by making politically charged remarks on social media during the tournament, something the BCCI has reportedly taken strong exception to. His decision to physically take the trophy off-stage without allowing any BCCI or Indian representative to formally receive it has sparked a diplomatic and cricketing standoff.

According to the source, the BCCI is preparing to raise the matter formally at the upcoming ICC board meeting, with discussions likely to include a move to censure Naqvi or even seek his removal as an ICC Director.

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