BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia says the first steps towards ending India’s Asia Cup trophy stalemate with the Pakistan Cricket Board have finally been taken.
Key facts
• India won the men’s T20 Asia Cup final against Pakistan on 28 September but still have not collected the trophy.
• The stand-off centres on who should hand over the silverware. India declined to accept it from Mohsin Naqvi, who is both PCB chair and Pakistan’s interior minister.
• The two boards spoke for the first time since the incident during last week’s International Cricket Council meetings in Dubai.
Saikia, speaking to the Press Trust of India, felt encouraged:
“I was a part of both the informal and formal meeting of the ICC. PCB chairperson Mohsin Naqvi was also present. During the course of a formal meeting, it was not on agenda but ICC facilitated a meeting between myself and the PCB chief separately in the presence of a senior ICC office-bearer and another senior official,” he said. “It was really good to start the process of negotiation.”
“Both sides will work out something to solve the issue at the earliest. The ice has been broken now, so various options will be worked out. There will be options from the other side as well and we will also give options on how to settle this issue and come to an amicable solution.”
How we got here
Tension has simmered since the group stage fixture on 14 September, when Indian players skipped the customary post-match handshakes. Relations deteriorated after the April terror attack in Pahalgam, which led to sharp exchanges between officials of both countries.
All three tournament meetings – group, Super Fours and final – were edgy affairs. On-field flashpoints resulted in ICC penalties for Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan.
Post-final, Naqvi insisted on presenting the trophy. India’s camp held firm, prompting a 90-minute delay and, eventually, the silverware was removed from the stage. It has remained in the organisers’ custody ever since.
Why the trophy matters
While a cup is largely symbolic, accepting it publicly signals respect for tournament governance. That moment never happened, creating an unusual administrative headache for the Asian Cricket Council and, by extension, the ICC.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer told the BBC that the episode is “a reminder that cricket’s soft-diplomacy role can unravel very fast,” adding that a prompt solution would “let players move on”.
Next steps
Officials did not specify timelines, yet the mood music out of Dubai feels more hopeful than at any point in the last six weeks. A straightforward fix could involve a neutral dignitary handing over the trophy at a mutually agreed venue.
Logistics, including India’s crowded home season and Pakistan’s domestic calendar, might push any ceremonial hand-over towards early 2026. The boards, for now, appear willing to compromise, mindful that another Asia Cup cycle begins soon.
Perspective
Diplomacy in cricket often crawls. Given the political sensitivities, even a short conversation can be progress. As Saikia put it, “The ice has been broken now.” For both boards, turning that thaw into a signed-off solution will test patience, but at least the lines of communication are back open.
