Mohsin Naqvi, who heads both the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has found himself in a big mess after walking away with the Asia Cup 2025 trophy.

The drama started after India’s five-wicket win over Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Stadium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian team for staying unbeaten through all eight games and wrote on Twitter: “OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”

The post referred to “Operation Sindoor,” India’s strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK earlier this year after a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that killed 26 people. Modi’s choice of words didn’t sit well with Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. Naqvi wrote: “If war is your pride, history already shows your defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can change the truth. Bringing war into sports only shows your frustration and spoils the spirit of the game.”

India Says “No” to Trophy from Naqvi , The situation got even more awkward during the prize ceremony. Naqvi was supposed to hand the trophy to Suryakumar Yadav’s side, but the Indian team refused to accept it from him. Instead of letting someone else present it, Naqvi stormed off with the trophy to his hotel, stopping the ceremony halfway.

India didn’t let this spoil their mood. The players celebrated their win and even posed with “invisible trophies,” teasing Naqvi while enjoying their victory. Naqvi is now facing heavy criticism for mixing politics with cricket. Reports say ACC officials wanted Emirates Cricket Board chairman Khalid Al Zarooni to present the trophy, but Naqvi blocked it.

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Tensions were high throughout the tournament. Indian players avoided shaking hands with Pakistan’s team, and Suryakumar skipped the captains’ photoshoot before the final. Still, India stayed focused on the game. Earlier, Suryakumar had dedicated a group-stage win to the Indian Army. After the final, he announced that he would donate his match fees from all the matches to the Armed Forces, showing his respect despite the controversies.