Asia Cup 2025 Trophy still locked in Dubai; Mohsin Naqvi set to boycott ICC meeting

The Asia Cup Trophy, which should have been in India’s hands weeks ago, remains trapped in an unusual tug-of-war that has left the cricketing world stunned and baffled. A standoff between the BCCI and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is yet to be solved.

There has been buzz that Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, took the trophy back to Pakistan, but the real story is slightly different. As reported by Cricbuzz, the silverware has been locked inside the ACC office at the ICC Academy complex in Dubai.

Asia Cup 2025 Trophy held in 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 accept the trophy and winners' medals from him on presentation day after they beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 finals to lift the ninth title in Dubai.

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The bizarre situation has turned into a diplomatic cricketing mess. During the ACC’s Annual General Meeting on September 30, representatives from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan agreed that the matter needed to be settled collectively. Their next discussion is scheduled for early November, alongside the ICC’s quarterly meetings in Dubai.

Mohsin Naqvi might once again miss the ICC meeting!!

But Naqvi’s presence in the upcoming meeting is not certain. The PCB chief had previously skipped the ICC’s conference in July, and it is being said that Naqvi is likely to send a delegate in his place once again. Presently, the BCCI is keeping a close watch on the situation.

The report reads: “Some within the ACC believe there is every chance he might once again send a representative to the meeting, scheduled from November 4 to 7. In such a scenario, the deadlock could persist, and the trophy may continue to gather dust in the ACC office unless some sense prevails on the ACC members.”

The BCCI officials reportedly said that there’s time before the meeting scheduled from November 4 to 7 and that India will take a calculated approach. BCCI is ready to take strong action against Naqvi.

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Asia Cup 2025 sees a 38% surge in Ad volumes

Meanwhile, the Asia Cup 2025 witnessed a major advertising boom, with ad volumes per channel per match jumping 38% from the 2022 edition of the tournament, according to the TAM Sports AdEx report. India matches saw a 35% rise, while other games surged 41%.

Volumes peaked during the Super 4 (49%) and final (102%) stages. Food and beverage led sectors with 27%, followed by auto and services, together contributing 80% of total ads. Mouth fresheners topped categories, overtaking auto.

PepsiCo emerged as the top advertiser with a 7% share, while Vimal Elaichi replaced Dream11 as the leading brand. The top five advertisers made up 34% of total ad volume, while longer ad formats (20–40+ seconds) gained traction in the tournament.