New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) raised strong objections at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting over its decision not to hand over the winner's trophy to the Indian team and the drama created by ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Rajeev Shukla, who represented the BCCI at the meeting, is learnt to have confronted Naqvi with tough questions. “Why was the trophy not handed over to the winning team? The ACC trophy is not the personal property of any individual,” Shukla reportedly said during the discussions.
According to reports, Naqvi claimed there was no written communication to the ACC stating that the Indian team would not accept the trophy from him. He even refused to congratulate India on their Asia Cup triumph during the meeting. Instead, Naqvi extended congratulations to Nepal and Mongolia on their induction into the ACC, but pointedly left out India.
BCCI made its position clear during the meeting: “The trophy must be handed over to us. If needed, we will collect it directly from the ACC office.” However, ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi remained defiant, suggesting the matter should be discussed further. The BCCI is refusing to entertain any negotiations, asserting: “There is no discussion — the trophy belongs to us.”
Despite repeated demands, Naqvi has still not agreed to hand over the trophy. The BCCI is now preparing to file an official complaint with the ICC.
A controversy erupted at the presentation ceremony soon after India defeated Pakistan in the final, with Suryakumar Yadav and his team refusing to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who is ACC chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB and is also the country's Interior Minister. The Indian team had decided not to shake hands with the Pakistan players in the first two matches.
'I had to stay calm for 140 crore people': Tilak VarmaHyderabad: India batter Tilak Verma reflected on his heroics in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, stating that he had to remain calm under pressure during the tense chase, reminding himself that he was batting not just for himself but for 140 crore people. Tilak, who returned to Hyderabad, received a rousing reception by fans at Shamshabad Airport and later felicitated by Telangana Sports Authority Chairman Shivsena Reddy and Managing Director Soni Bala Devi. "There was a lot of pressure and nerves in my body. A lot was going on in my mind. In my mind and heart, I thought that whatever I do, I will give my life for the country. If I am under pressure and fail, I am not just bringing myself down, I am bringing down 140 crore people. To do that, I had to stay calm. I have learnt the basics from my childhood, and I have had this habit since I was a kid — to be calm and execute everything in my mind," Tilak told reporters. The 22-year-old batter revealed that partnerships were the key to India’s comeback. "The wicket was not that easy to bat on. As soon as we came back, we won the game by building a partnership. That is the quality of India,” he said, referring to his match-winning stand with Shivam Dube. |
