BCCI Not Involved? Suryakumar Yadav Clarifies That the Decision to Not Take Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi Was Taken “On the Ground”

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav was ready to accept the trophy from ECB vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, but Mohsin Naqvi remained firm.

BCCI Not Involved? Suryakumar Yadav Clarifies That the Decision to Not Take Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi Was Taken “On the Ground”

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the decision to not take the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi was made on the pitch. (Image via NDTV Sports)

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India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav clarified that the team’s decision to not take the Asia Cup Trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, primarily due to political reasons, was taken on the ground. Yadav further stated that the BCCI had no hand in influencing the team’s decision. 

The 2025 Asia Cup was filled with controversy, starting from the ‘handshake’ row that erupted following India’s group-stage encounter against Pakistan. The two teams did not interact both on and off the pitch, despite having faced each other thrice. Furthermore, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan added fuel to the controversy by making crude gestures aimed at the recent border standoff between the two countries.

Despite the distractions, the Indian T20I team held its nerve, winning the penultimate encounter by five wickets. Tilak Varma won the POTM award for his innings of 69 runs off 53 deliveries in a tense 147-run chase that went down to the very last over. While Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma collected their individual awards, another major controversy erupted during the post-match trophy-lifting ceremony.

Quite unsurprisingly, the Indian team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be the chairman of PCB as well as the interior minister of Pakistan. It led to prolonged delay, subsequently resulting in the winning team celebrating on the podium without a trophy. At the post-match press conference, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was questioned by a journalist whether the decision to decline the trophy was premeditated.

The 34-year-old Indian captain however, brushed aside the rumors, suggesting that the decision to not take the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi was taken by the players and the team management ‘on the ground’, and that the BCCI had not written to the ACC about the presentation ceremony. Yadav insisted that it was unfair for the Indian team to be denied their ‘well-deserved’ silverware in the end.

I don’t know what you’re saying about the [BCCI] email. We took this call on the ground. No one told us to do this. And we were waiting… If you win, do you deserve the trophy or not? You tell me.

Suryakumar Yadav said (H/T: Hindustan Times)

Yadav noted that he had seen such a thing happen for the first time and shared that he also saw the ‘Champions’ flex being put in place and then removed again. Ultimately, he was dismayed and hoped that not getting the trophy would not diminish India’s triumphant display at the 2025 Asia Cup.

Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha accuses Suryakumar Yadav and Co. of ‘disrespecting cricket’

Pakistani T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha, after a disappointing 2025 Asia Cup outing as captain, blatantly accused the Indian team of ‘disrespecting cricket’. The India-Pakistan rivalry was intense throughout the Asia Cup, with the Men in Blue refusing to interact or shake hands with the Pakistani players.

Salman Ali Agha on Suryakumar Yadav and Indian players
Pakistani skipper Salman Ali Agha accused Suryakumar Yadav and Co. of disrespecting cricket. (Image via Indian Express)

Speaking at the post-match press conference after the Asia Cup final defeat, Salman Agha stated that the occurrences during the tournament were disappointing. He took a direct dig at Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team, exclaiming that the Men in Blue weren’t just disrespecting the Pakistani players by refusing to shake hands, but were instead disrespecting the game of cricket itself.

Agha further claimed that the Indian team’s actions set a wrong precedent for the next generation of fans. The 31-year-old revealed that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with him only in front of the camera, but did so behind the scenes. He shared that Yadav shook hands with him after the captains’ press conference, as well as during the meeting with the match referee.

They’re [Indian team] not disrespecting us by not shaking hands, they’re disrespecting cricket. Good teams don’t do what they did today… I don’t want to use harsh words, but they’ve been very disrespectful.

Additionally, the Pakistani skipper commented on the trophy presentation ceremony, where the Indian team refused to take the Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi. He noted that the Men in Blue had again disrespected the game by allowing political reasons to prevail over cricket.

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