Trophy Standoff & Twitter Feud: Mohsin Naqvi Takes Aim at PM Modi

The high-voltage cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan took an overtly political turn following the Asia Cup 2025 final, with the post-match controversy and an aggressive social media exchange dominating headlines. Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), found himself at the centre of a firestorm, first over the dramatic trophy row and then for a sharp public retort directed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Trophy Standoff

India’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final in Dubai was immediately overshadowed by unprecedented drama during the presentation ceremony. The Indian team, reportedly citing Naqvi’s dual political role as a minister in the Pakistani government and his previous provocative, anti-India social media posts—including one that mocked India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ with a football star’s plane-crash celebration gesture—refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from him.

Despite an hour-long standoff where ACC officials reportedly tried to mediate by suggesting a different dignitary, Naqvi stood firm, refusing to step aside. The situation culminated in the bizarre sight of the trophy being quietly removed from the ground and the Indian team celebrating their record ninth title without the physical silverware, leading to strong protests from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who later demanded the trophy and medals be returned.

Naqvi ‘Cribs’ Over PM Modi’s ‘Op Sindoor’ Post

Adding fuel to the already intense situation, the controversy escalated dramatically after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to his social media handle ‘X’ to congratulate Team India. PM Modi wrote: “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.” The Prime Minister’s post drew a clear parallel between the cricketing victory and “Operation Sindoor,” the Indian military’s recent retaliatory cross-border campaign.

In a move that shattered the diplomatic facade of sporting events, Mohsin Naqvi launched a direct and cutting counter-attack on ‘X’. Naqvi’s post took aim at the Prime Minister for linking a sports victory to military action, stating: “If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan’s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth. Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.”

Naqvi’s statement, described by some critics and media as “cribbing” or a “shameful dig” coming from a major sporting administrator, not only ratcheted up political tensions but also drew widespread condemnation for politicising the game. The response was seen as an extraordinary escalation, transforming the cricket final into a full-blown diplomatic and military-themed social media war.

The twin controversies—the refusal to present the trophy and Naqvi’s aggressive, non-diplomatic response to the Indian Prime Minister—have put the PCB/ACC Chairman under severe pressure and have prompted the BCCI to announce its intention to lodge a strong, formal protest against his conduct at the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting.