India Celebrate With an ‘Invisible’ Trophy After Snubbing Mohsin Naqvi at Asia Cup Final

The 2025 Asia Cup will forever be remembered more for what happened off the field than on it, as the tournament concluded on a sour note after India celebrated with an invisible trophy, having refused to accept the prize from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.

India clinched a dramatic five-wicket win over Pakistan in the final, sealing their ninth Asia Cup crown. But the celebrations quickly soured when the presentation ceremony, scheduled for shortly after the match, was delayed by more than an hour amid behind-the-scenes disputes.

When the event finally commenced, the reason for the delay became clear. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed India’s stance: “We decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who is also a senior political figure in Pakistan. That does not mean he will keep the trophy or medals with him. We hope they are returned to India as soon as possible.”

Saikia added that the BCCI would register a “serious protest” at the ICC’s upcoming annual conference in Dubai this November.

After India refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the prize was swiftly removed from the stage. During the ceremony, Pakistan captain Salman Agha collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi, while Indian players received only their individual awards from other officials. Notably, they avoided eye contact with Naqvi, who in turn refrained from applauding them.

Afterward, the Indian squad posed on the podium with an “imaginary” trophy in hand, mocking the absence of the actual prize.

The fiasco capped off a tournament marred by off-field tensions. India had already refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s players across all three matches, while on-field exchanges grew heated during the Super Four stage. Suryakumar Yadav was fined for political remarks after the first game, while Haris Rauf also faced sanctions for his gestures in the return fixture.

For Indian cricket, the refusal to accept the trophy has sparked global criticism, with many questioning whether sporting values were sacrificed at the altar of politics. With the Asia Cup now in the books, cricket fans across the globe will be hoping the hostilities die down, at least until the next ICC tournament.