Tempers ran high at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting on Tuesday, as the BCCI launched a scathing attack on ACC chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi over the controversial post-match events following India’s win in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The match, held at the Dubai International Stadium on September 28, ended in chaos during the presentation ceremony, with Naqvi allegedly walking off with the trophy after the Indian team refused to accept it from him.

The BCCI's outrage was clearly expressed at the ACC meeting, where vice-president Rajeev Shukla lashed out at Naqvi’s conduct. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also announced that India would lodge a formal protest during the upcoming ICC meeting. The situation remains unresolved, with no clarity on when the Asia Cup trophy will be handed over to India.

According to sources at the ACC meeting, Naqvi defended himself by saying he felt “disrespected” and claimed he had no prior knowledge that the Indian team would decline to accept the trophy from him. He insisted that the BCCI never communicated this decision in writing. However, Shukla firmly rebutted these claims, stating that the trophy is not anyone’s personal property and belongs to the ACC. He stressed that it must be delivered to the rightful winners without delay.

Naqvi reportedly said he was made to look like a “cartoon” in the aftermath of the chaotic presentation, which ended abruptly. The trophy was quietly removed from the dais midway through the ceremony, and Naqvi later left the stadium—allegedly taking the trophy with him to his hotel room, instead of leaving it at the ACC headquarters as per protocol.

The controversy has only further strained Indo-Pak cricketing relations. Tensions had already been high throughout the eight-team tournament, with no handshakes exchanged between players and political tensions lingering following India’s Operation Sindoor in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam.

India's five-wicket win, led by Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69, was overshadowed by the post-match drama. The presentation ceremony was delayed by over 45 minutes due to the standoff, as the Indian side was only willing to receive the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni—not Naqvi.

The issue has now been deferred to a future meeting, but the damage to diplomatic cricketing ties may already be done.