The victory celebrations at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha took an unexpected turn for Indian cricket enthusiasts on November 23, 2025, as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chief Mohsin Naqvi presented the Rising Asia Cup trophy to Pakistan A following their thrilling Super Over win over Bangladesh A. Pakistan A, captained by Irfan Khan Niazi, clinched their record third title in the under-23 tournament after both teams tied at 125 runs, with seamer Ahmed Daniyal starring in the decider by claiming two wickets while conceding just six runs. The moment, captured in a widely circulated video of Naqvi beaming alongside the jubilant Pakistan Shaheens, quickly reignited the lingering bitterness over India's unresolved Asia Cup 2025 trophy saga, where the senior Indian team remains without physical possession of the silverware they earned nearly two months earlier.
India's triumph in the Asia Cup final on September 28, 2025, in Dubai—marked by a dramatic five-wicket chase of 147, powered by Tilak Varma's unbeaten 69—descended into controversy during the delayed presentation ceremony. The Indian squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav, refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who serves as ACC president, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, and Pakistan's interior minister amid heightened bilateral tensions.
Citing Naqvi's provocative social media activity, including a post featuring Cristiano Ronaldo's plane-crash gesture interpreted as a jab at Indian military claims, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) requested a neutral presenter from the Emirates Cricket Board. Naqvi's insistence led to a standoff lasting over an hour, culminating in him departing the venue with the trophy, leaving the champions to celebrate with medals alone amid boos from the stands chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."
The fallout has escalated into a diplomatic cricket imbroglio, with the BCCI lodging formal protests at ACC meetings and flagging the issue for the International Cricket Council (ICC) board discussions. Reports indicate the Asia Cup trophy was initially stored at the ACC headquarters in Dubai but has since been relocated—possibly to Abu Dhabi under Naqvi's custody—prompting accusations of politicization from Indian officials.
Naqvi, in turn, has proposed handing over the trophy personally during a November 10 ceremony in Dubai, a condition the BCCI has rejected, insisting on a neutral handover. The ACC has expressed internal regret over the fiasco but stopped short of a formal apology from Naqvi, while Pakistani figures like Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori have mocked the situation in viral videos, further inflaming online discourse.
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In stark contrast, Pakistan A's Rising Asia Cup campaign provided Naqvi with unencumbered optics of triumph, avenging their senior team's final loss to India earlier in the year. From a precarious 2 for 2, Pakistan A rallied to 125 all out, thanks to Saad Masood's 38 off 26 and contributions from Maaz Sadaqat (Player of the Series) and Arafat Minhas, before their spinners—Arafat, Masood, Sadaqat, and Sufiyan Muqeem—rattled Bangladesh A to 53 for 7. A defiant lower-order fightback by Rakibul Hasan and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain forced the Super Over, but Daniyal's heroics sealed the deal as Pakistan chased seven runs without loss. Meanwhile, India A's tournament ended in heartbreak, crushed by eight wickets against Pakistan in the group stage and bowled out for zero in a Super Over semi-final loss to Bangladesh A.
Social media erupted with polarized reactions to Naqvi's Doha handover, with Pakistani users hailing it as "poetic justice" and Indian fans decrying the "tone-deaf" visuals as a fresh insult to their champions' unfulfilled moment. Parody posts mocked the scenario, likening it to imagined holidays and biryani distributions in Pakistan, while others highlighted the irony of Naqvi's repeated trophy associations. This under-23 event, typically a developmental footnote, has amplified calls for ICC intervention to depoliticize continental cricket governance.
As the BCCI prepares for potential ICC confrontations, the episode underscores deeper fractures in Indo-Pak cricket relations, exacerbated by hosting disputes and security concerns that led to the Asia Cup's hybrid model. With no resolution in sight for the senior trophy—rumored to be gathering dust in Naqvi's possession—the Rising Asia Cup's silverware serves as an inadvertent flashpoint, reminding stakeholders that off-field battles can overshadow on-field glories in South Asian cricket's volatile landscape.
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