India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav couldn’t resist a playful dig at the recent Asia Cup trophy controversy, immediately after leading India to a series triumph against Australia. The hard-fought five-match T20I series concluded with India securing a 2-1 victory, despite the final match being abandoned due to rain on November 8th in Brisbane. This significant win continues India’s impressive 13-year streak of unbeaten T20I series on Australian soil.
During the post-match formalities, Suryakumar was asked about the satisfaction of lifting a trophy. His response was a clever nod to the Asia Cup incident, where the Indian team, despite winning the tournament, did not physically receive the coveted trophy. “It feels great to finally get to touch the trophy. Felt it in my hands when I was handed over the trophy for the series victory. A few days back another trophy arrived in India, our women’s team has won the World Cup. That trophy has also arrived back home. It feels great and getting to touching this trophy as well feels good,” Suryakumar shared at the press conference.
The captain’s remarks are widely interpreted as a lighthearted jab at Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who notably did not present the Asia Cup trophy following India’s championship win. Consequently, the trophy has remained at the Asian Cricket Council headquarters in Dubai. This situation has fueled discussions and speculation within the cricketing world.
In related developments, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that negotiations between the BCCI and PCB regarding the Asia Cup issue have seen positive progress following a recent face-to-face meeting in Dubai. This marks the first direct communication since the dispute originally arose. Saikia clarified that while the Asia Cup dispute wasn’t an official agenda item at the ICC meeting, the organization facilitated an informal discussion between the parties. “It was really good to start the process of negotiation. Both sides cordially participated in the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the ICC board meeting. Definitely, in the coming times, if things go in a positive way, the issue will be sorted at the earliest,” Saikia informed PTI. The Asia Cup trophy’s current location remains at the ACC office in Dubai, reportedly due to instructions from Mohsin Naqvi to prevent its relocation without his explicit approval. This comes after his earlier insistence that the Indian players should receive the trophy directly from him, a condition that Suryakumar and the Indian team ultimately declined.
