ACC Meeting in Dubai: Trophy Request Controversy

DUBAI: A recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) gathering in Dubai, presided over by ACC Chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, experienced an unexpected situation regarding the Asia Cup 2025 trophy, sources revealed on Tuesday.

According to insiders, Rajiv Shukla, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President, reportedly made a request to Naqvi for the trophy.

“This matter was not included in the ACC meeting’s scheduled agenda,” Naqvi stated.

Sources indicated that Shukla pressed for the trophy’s acquisition, but Naqvi stood firm, saying, “If the Indian squad desires the trophy, the captain can personally collect it from the ACC office.”
No official resolution was reached concerning the transfer of the trophy to India.

Following their triumph in the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, the Indian men’s cricket team did not receive their championship medals or the trophy.

This event occurred after a brief disagreement between the ACC and the Indian team, who allegedly declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi.

The closing ceremony, initially planned immediately after the game, was delayed by an hour.

Indian players Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Tilak Varma were each presented with awards acknowledging their performances in the final, while Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, accepted the runners-up prize money.

Subsequently, Kuldeep Yadav was awarded for being the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, and Abhishek Sharma was recognized as Player of the Tournament for amassing 314 runs across seven innings, achieving an average of 44.85.

The ceremony concluded without the victorious team being awarded the Asia Cup trophy.

Presenter Simon Doull verified, “The ACC has informed me that the Indian cricket team will not be receiving their awards this evening. This concludes the post-match presentation.”

Notably, the men in blue achieved a hard-fought five-wicket victory against their rivals, Pakistan, in the final showdown. Pakistan, after being put in to bat first, posted a total of 146 in 19.1 overs, which fell short of expectations.

Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century provided Pakistan with an initial advantage, but a pivotal wicket taken by Kuldeep Yadav initiated a collapse, resulting in Pakistan losing their remaining eight wickets for a mere 33 runs in 38 balls.