The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has warned it will push the unresolved trophy issue from the Asia Cup 2025 with the International Cricket Council (ICC) on November 4, after India’s champions’ trophy remains undelivered following their win.
Trophy row escalates after win over Pakistan
After India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai, the BCCI has still not received the winners’ trophy. The silverware remains under the custody of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) amid a standoff with its president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
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BCCI joint secretary Devajit Saikia said the board is “a little bit unhappy” over the delay and has formally written to the ACC chairman. He added if the trophy doesn’t reach Mumbai headquarters within “a day or two”, the BCCI will raise the matter at the ICC quarterly meeting from November 4.
"Yes, we are a little bit unhappy with the way the trophy has not been being given to us even after a month," BCCI joint secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI Video in an exclusive interaction.
"We are pursuing this matter, about 10 days ago also we wrote a letter to the chairman of ACC, but there is no change in their stand,” he continued.
Political overtones cloud cricket ceremony
The controversy dates back to the presentation ceremony on September 28, when India refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi and the trophy was removed from the stage without being handed over. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav later said his team had been “denied” the opportunity to lift the trophy.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has received backing from other ACC member boards including those from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, who have urged for a swift resolution.
As the ICC board meeting nears, the BCCI appears ready to raise the issue not just as an administrative lapse but as a matter of sporting integrity. The delay in trophy hand-over looks likely to become a central point of contention in regional cricket diplomacy.
