BCCI sends clear message to Mohsin Naqvi ahead of ICC meeting: 'Trophy will reach Mumbai in two days'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made its stance clear on the ongoing Asia Cup trophy controversy, sending a strong message to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi ahead of the upcoming ICC meeting. The Indian board has expressed disappointment over the long delay in receiving the Asia Cup 2025 trophy but remains confident that it will soon be handed over.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board expects the trophy to reach its headquarters in Mumbai within the next couple of days. The BCCI is expected to raise the matter at the ICC meeting on November 4 if Naqvi doesn’t hand over the trophy by then. Saikia also revealed that they had written a letter to the ACC chairman 10 days ago, but there is no change in his stance.

Naqvi wants the Indian team to personally collect the trophy from him and has even offered to organise an event for the handover. However, the BCCI has categorically refused to bow to Naqvi’s demands, even if it means a delay in getting the trophy and medals home.

“Yes, we are a little bit unhappy with the way the trophy has not been being given to us even after a month. We are pursuing this matter. About 10 days ago, we also wrote a letter to the chairman of ACC, but there is no change in their stand. They are still keeping the trophy under their custody, but we hope that the trophy will reach us in a day or two at the BCCI office in Mumbai,” Saikia told PTI.

It has been more than a month since India won the Asia Cup after defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the final held in Dubai on September 28. However, the trophy and medals were never handed to the Indian team after a last-minute disagreement during the presentation ceremony. India refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and the country’s interior minister.

Saikia warns Naqvi

The BCCI later wrote to the ACC seeking clarification and asking for the immediate handover of the trophy and medals, but the situation has remained unresolved. Naqvi has maintained that he is ready to hand over the trophy but wants India to send a representative to collect it from him directly. It has been reported that Naqvi has moved the trophy from the ACC headquarters to a different location.

“On behalf of the BCCI, we are fully prepared on how to deal with the matter, and I can assure the people of India that the trophy will now come back to India; only the timeline is not fixed. One day it will come. We have won all matches against Pakistan and won the trophy. We have won the championship. Everything is on record. Only the trophy is missing. I hope good sense will prevail,” Saikia added.