The recent-day glow of victory for the Indian team in the Asia Cup has dimmed a little not because of any on-field drama, but thanks to a curious off-field standoff. The trophy the team fought so hard to earn remains unsurrendered because Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and also chairman of Pakistan’s board, has declined to release it to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 

What’s the rub? The BCCI, supported by the boards of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, formally requested the trophy hand-over. Naqvi, however, set a condition: someone from BCCI must personally come to the ACC’s Dubai offices to collect it. The BCCI flatly rejected that. Thus the trophy sits somewhere in the ACC fold, untouched. 

From the surface, it’s about protocol and ego. On a deeper level, it speaks to the tangled web of politics, pride and power that always lurks behind cricket in South Asia. The Indian team didn’t take the trophy at the ceremony either their refusal to accept it from Naqvi reflected a wider tension beyond the sport. 

For the BCCI, the matter now goes up into the halls of the International Cricket Council (ICC). They intend to raise it at the next meeting in the hopes of resolving the impasse. For now, the trophy remains a symbol not just of victory, but of unresolved friction. 

Behind the headlines, one senses the human side of it: A team home from triumph, ready to celebrate. Officials from boards used to handshake and goodwill, now caught in the crosswinds of national sentiment and board-level posturing. And a trophy so straightforward in idea becoming a flashpoint for broader issues.

Whether this trophy saga ends quickly or drags on may depend less on cricket and more on diplomacy, reputation and goodwill. In the meantime, the Indian fans’ joy at the win is shaded by a question: Should victory celebrations come with such complications?

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