The Asia Cup trophy, which should have been in India’s hands weeks ago, is caught in an unusual tug-of-war that has left the cricket world stunned and bewildered. The standoff between BCCI and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is yet to be resolved.
There is talk that Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, took the trophy back to Pakistan, but the real story is a little different. As per Cricbuzz report, the silverware has been locked inside the ACC office at the ICC Academy complex in Dubai.
Asia Cup 2025 trophy held at ACC office amid India-Pakistan tension
Sources revealed that Naqvi directed the ACC office staff not to move the trophy without his personal approval after India refused to collect the trophy and winners’ medals from him on the day of presentation after India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final to win their ninth title in Dubai.
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This bizarre situation has turned into a diplomatic cricket mess. During the ACC Annual General Meeting on 30 September, representatives of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan agreed that the matter needed to be dealt with collectively. Their next discussions are scheduled to take place in early November alongside the ICC quarterly meetings in Dubai.
Mohsin Naqvi may miss ICC meeting once again!!
But Naqvi’s presence in the upcoming meeting is not certain. The PCB chief had earlier not attended the ICC conference in July and it is being said that Naqvi may once again send a representative in his place. At present BCCI is keeping a close watch on the situation.
The report reads: “Some within the ACC believe that there is every possibility that it may once again send a representative to the meeting to be held from 4 to 7 November. In such a scenario, the impasse may continue, and the trophy may continue to gather dust in the ACC office, unless some sense of humor comes to the ACC members.”
BCCI officials reportedly said there is still time before the meeting to be held from November 4 to 7 and India will take a considered approach. BCCI is ready to take strict action against Naqvi.
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Asia Cup 2025 sees 38% increase in ad volume
Meanwhile, the Asia Cup 2025 saw a huge advertising surge, with ad volume per channel per match increasing by 38% compared to the 2022 edition of the tournament, according to a TAM Sports AdEx report. India matches saw a 35% increase, while other sports saw a 41% increase.
Volume peaked during the Super 4 (49%) and Final (102%) stages. Food and beverages is the leading sector with 27%, followed by auto and services, which contribute 80% of the total ads. Mouth fresheners overtake autos to top the categories.
PepsiCo emerged as the top advertiser with 7% share, while Vimal Cardamom replaced Dream 11 as the leading brand. The top five advertisers accounted for 34% of total ad volume, while longer ad formats (20-40+ seconds) gained popularity at the tournament.
