ACC Agrees to Present Asia Cup Trophy to India, But With a Condition

India emerged victorious in the Asia Cup by defeating their long-standing rivals Pakistan by five wickets, securing the championship title. However, despite their triumph, the team was not immediately awarded the trophy. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his squad celebrated the win without the trophy, which sparked widespread debate. Even after the event concluded, India had still not been formally presented with the trophy. Reports indicate that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) intends to award the trophy to India, but has attached a specific condition.

Following their win on Sunday, 28 September, India refused to receive the trophy from the ACC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi. At one point, Naqvi left the field, taking the trophy with him. Video footage shows that as he departed, a few ACC officials accompanied him, carrying the trophy wrapped in a silver covering.

On the same day, BCCI secretary Debajit Shome alleged that Naqvi had taken the trophy away. Meanwhile, PTI reports that the trophy is currently stored at the ACC headquarters in Dubai, just four kilometres from the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and in close proximity to the International Cricket Council (ICC) headquarters.

Recent updates reveal that Naqvi has agreed to present the Asia Cup trophy to India, but under one specific condition. According to a Cricbuzz report, Naqvi has informed the organisers that the Indian team may receive the trophy and medals, but he intends to personally hand both the trophy and medals to the Indian players. To facilitate this, he has requested that a formal ceremony be organised.

Given the current situation of the BCCI, the possibility of organising such a ceremony is extremely low. Consequently, there is no clarity on the location, date, or timing of the event. Even before the match began in Dubai, it was apparent that if India won, they would not accept the trophy directly from Naqvi. Yet, no party took proactive steps to resolve the issue prior to the final.

After the match, following discussions with officials in Mumbai, the Indian camp confirmed that under no circumstances would they accept the trophy from Naqvi. Among the support staff, foreign players such as Morne Morkel were only allowed to collect their individual medals or awards, but even this proposal was not accepted.