BCCI and PCB thaw tensions as Mohsin Naqvi meets Devajit Saikia over Asia Cup trophy
BCCI and PCB resume talks after trophy row
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a decisive step toward ending the standoff over the Asia Cup trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to PTI that he met Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) head Mohsin Naqvi on the sidelines of the ICC board meeting in Dubai. The long-standing trophy issue, he said, is now on course for resolution.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, arrived unexpectedly in Dubai for the ICC gathering on Friday. The issue resurfaced during these formal and informal discussions after India’s Asia Cup victory earlier this year was overshadowed by a dispute over the presentation ceremony.
Following India’s win, the team led by Suryakumar Yadav did not receive the silverware, as tension between the BCCI and Naqvi escalated. With both sides locked in disagreement, the trophy remained at the ACC headquarters in Dubai under Naqvi’s directive that it should not be moved without his approval.
ICC mediates informal breakthrough
Saikia revealed that the ICC facilitated a private interaction between him and Naqvi, joined by senior officials from the global body. “I was part of both the informal and formal meetings of the ICC. Though it wasn’t on the official agenda, the ICC arranged a separate discussion between myself and the PCB chief,” he told PTI.
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The BCCI secretary described the meeting as constructive. “It was really good to start the process of negotiation. Both sides participated cordially,” he said, emphasizing that dialogue has finally resumed after months of deadlock.
‘Ice has been broken’ after months of chill
Sources close to the meeting said the conversation helped ease tensions built up since India’s refusal to accept the trophy directly from Naqvi. Saikia expressed optimism that a mutually agreeable solution would soon be reached.
“Both sides will work out something to solve the issue at the earliest. The ice has been broken now, so various options will be explored,” Saikia noted. “We will put forward our proposals, and they will share theirs, with the aim of finding an amicable resolution.”
India had defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament itself had unfolded under a tense political backdrop following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, further straining relations between the two cricket boards.
If the tone of cooperation continues, the long-drawn trophy impasse may soon be history, restoring a degree of normalcy to one of cricket’s most complex sporting rivalries.