Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi has said that India are welcome to collect the Asia Cup trophy from his office in Dubai after the team refused to receive it during the official presentation.
India retained their Asia Cup title by defeating Pakistan on Sunday but declined to accept the prize from Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister. Instead, the Indian players celebrated by pretending to lift an invisible trophy, and captain Suryakumar Yadav later claimed the team had been denied the silverware.
Naqvi responded on social media platform X, writing: “As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
The tournament was marked by political posturing as India and Pakistan met three times, with the final’s presentation delayed by an hour. Hostilities between the players appeared to mirror wider tensions between the two nations, who have not played bilateral cricket in over a decade.
The T20 competition in the United Arab Emirates was the first time the rivals had faced each other since a deadly four-day military conflict in May. In their first encounter, Suryakumar refused to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha, and the frosty relations persisted across all three matches, which India won.
Players from both sides were also seen exchanging gestures apparently mimicking military displays. More than 70 people were killed on both sides during the May conflict, with each country claiming victory.
India and Pakistan continue to meet only in neutral venues at international events due to longstanding political tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
