The lingering dispute over the Asia Cup trophy handover refuses to die down, as tensions between the cricket boards of Pakistan and India continue to mirror the frosty relations between the two nations.
According to Indian media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently reached out to Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi regarding the long-delayed transfer of the Asia Cup trophy which India refused to receive during the closing ceremony last month.
Naqvi, who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told reporters in Karachi on Tuesday that the ACC has officially notified the BCCI of a formal handover ceremony scheduled for December 10 in Dubai, where India will be presented with the trophy.
Naqvi is personally determined to oversee the presentation himself a move aimed at restoring procedural dignity after the controversy that marred the tournament’s conclusion.
India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a dramatic last-over finish to claim the Asia Cup title at the Dubai International Stadium. However, celebrations quickly turned awkward when the Indian players declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi, leaving the post-match ceremony in disarray.
The ill-tempered finale capped off a tournament clouded by political hostility. Before the final, Indian players had refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts. Pakistan captain Salman Agha later described India’s conduct as “disrespectful to the spirit of cricket,” while India’s Suryakumar Yadav countered that his team had been “denied their rightful trophy.”
Days after the incident, Naqvi took to X (formerly Twitter), writing pointedly: “If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me.”
The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’s cricket boards have sided with the BCCI on the matter. PTI quoted an ACC insider as saying, “Naqvi has insisted that a BCCI representative must collect the trophy directly from him at the ACC headquarters in Dubai, but the Indian board has rejected that condition.” The issue, according to PTI, is now expected to be raised in the upcoming ICC meeting next month.
The dispute has once again highlighted how political tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad continue to seep into the sporting arena. The Asia Cup featuring eight nations was played just months after a brief military flare-up in April 2025, following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir that killed 26 local tourists.
Throughout the September 9–28 tournament in the UAE, political undercurrents remained evident. Indian players avoided handshakes and public interactions with the Pakistani side, while post-match comments from Suryakumar Yadav referencing the Pahalgam incident and India’s armed forces drew widespread criticism for politicizing the event.
The Pakistan camp, meanwhile, maintained silence and skipped media sessions on match days involving India. However, the on-field atmosphere grew increasingly tense, marked by heated verbal exchanges between players during the Super Four clash.
As December approaches, all eyes will be on Dubai not for a match, but for a ceremony that has become yet another flashpoint in the uneasy cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan.
