‘Won’t Normalise Pakistan’s Disinformation Playbook’: Why Team India Didn’t Accept Asia Cup Trophy | Exclusive

Last Updated:September 29, 2025, 08:59 IST

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who insisted on presenting the trophy, has stirred a row many times, including claiming that Pakistan militarily outperformed India after Operation Sindoor

Team India celebrates after winning the Asia Cup cricket final against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates. (AP)

Team India’s refusal to accept the 2025 Asia Cup trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday from Mohsin Naqvi was a pointed political statement, which stood as a clear rejection of Pakistan’s ongoing disinformation and propaganda campaigns that Naqvi has come to embody.

India’s snub signals to the international community that it will not legitimise the messaging pushed by Naqvi, who is not only the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) but also the chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the interior minister of Pakistan. He is also widely seen as a civilian amplifier for the Pakistan Army’s narratives, sources told CNN-News18.

Naqvi has stirred controversy on multiple occasions, most notably when he claimed that Pakistan had militarily outperformed India following Operation Sindoor. The rhetoric, amplified by Naqvi’s dual role in Pakistan’s political and cricketing spheres, has been perceived by India as a deliberate attempt to distort facts and bolster Pakistan’s position internationally under the guise of civilian leadership.

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By declining to accept the trophy from Naqvi, India is sending a two-fold message. First, it signals that New Delhi will not allow sports to be used as a tool for political propaganda or to whitewash contentious narratives. Second, it highlights India’s resolve to separate substance from optics, refusing to normalise diplomatic and security concerns through symbolic gestures that could otherwise be exploited.

Moreover, the Indian stance exposes the diminishing credibility of the Naqvi-Asim Munir leadership duo within the international cricket community.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, speaking to media in Mumbai, said: “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC chairman, who is one of the main leaders of Pakistan.”

He also requested Naqvi to return the Championship trophy and individual medals promptly. “But that does not mean that the gentleman will take away the trophy with him, along with the medals. So, it is very unfortunate and we hope that the trophy and the medals will be returned to India as soon as possible.”

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Justifying the Indian team’s refusal to take the silverware from Naqvi, Saikia said India cannot accept the trophy from a person who is “waging a war against the country”.

For India, the message was clear: sportsmanship does not equate to political concession, and it will not endorse any platform that propagates disinformation or militaristic narratives.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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