Mumbai: The glittering Asia Cup 2025 triumph for Team India has soured into a simmering standoff, with the coveted trophy still gathering dust amid accusations flying thicker than boundary ropes.
At the heart of the storm is Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who has unleashed a scathing rebuttal against what he dubs “fabricated nonsense” peddled by Indian media, vowing to hand over the silverware at a moment’s notice.
The flashpoint erupted during Tuesday’s high-stakes ACC conclave on September 30, where reports swirled of a fiery showdown. Indian outlets claimed BCCI heavyweights — Vice President Rajiv Shukla and representative Ashish Shelar— berated Naqvi, demanding an apology and the trophy’s swift dispatch to Mumbai. But Naqvi, undeterred, took to social media to torch these tales. “I did nothing wrong and never apologised to anyone,” he declared, dismissing the narratives as cheap publicity ploys thriving on “lies, not facts.” He showed his willingness to resolve the issue by inviting BCCI officials to the ACC office to collect the trophy and medals that same day.
This saga traces back to India’s hard-fought Asia Cup conquest in September, yet the champions remain trophyless, fuelling whispers of political meddling that taint cricket’s camaraderie. Naqvi, the Pakistani interior minister, decried the episode as a betrayal of the game’s spirit, insisting no reprimand occurred and labelling the media blitz a deliberate smear.
As the subcontinent’s cricket faithful reel, the question hangs: Will this verbal volley bridge the divide or deepen the chasm between old rivals? With the ACC’s Dubai headquarters as the unlikely arena, the trophy’s journey home could redefine regional rapport — or rupture it further.