India Refuses Asia Cup Trophy From ACC Chief Mohsin Naqvi

Asia Cup champions India refused to accept the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi—who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister and cricket board chief—after their victory on Sunday.

However, India captain Suryakumar Yadav later told reporters in the post-match press conference that his team had actually been denied the trophy.
“This is one thing I have never seen—a winning team being denied the trophy,” he said.

According to a PTI report, the Indian players stayed away during the presentation ceremony, delaying proceedings for nearly an hour. Team officials had asked who would present the trophy, and when told it would be Naqvi, they communicated their refusal.

“I have been informed by the ACC that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,” presenter Simon Doull announced. “So that does conclude the post-match presentation.”

When Naqvi eventually appeared on stage, Indian fans booed and chanted “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” Organisers later bypassed the ceremony entirely and placed the trophy directly in India’s dressing room.

The Indian team had already signalled its stance to the ACC by refusing to shake hands with Pakistani players during the three Asia Cup matches and skipping the customary pre-toss photoshoots.

Adding to the drama, Pakistan’s players remained in their dressing room for over an hour after the match, leaving Naqvi visibly awkward and stranded on stage. When Salman Agha and his teammates finally emerged, they were met with chants of “Indiaaaa, Indiaaaa.”

The outcome had long seemed inevitable, as India was determined not to accept the trophy from Naqvi—who had earlier drawn criticism for sharing cryptic videos referencing Cristiano Ronaldo’s “plane crash” celebration, widely interpreted as a nod to Pakistan’s claims of downing six Indian jets during “Operation Sindoor.”