The Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan was meant to be a celebration of cricket, but instead it became a diplomatic nightmare that exposed the deep fractures in South Asian relations. At the center of this controversy stands Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and cricket administrator, whose confrontation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed sporting rivalry into a geopolitical battlefield.
Timeline of Events Leading to Mohsin Naqvi-PM Modi Cricket Controversy
The Making of a Controversial Figure: Who is Mohsin Naqvi?
Mohsin Naqvi emerged as one of Pakistan’s most polarizing figures in 2025, wielding unprecedented influence across media, politics, and cricket administration. Born on October 28, 1978, in Lahore, Naqvi’s journey from journalism to the corridors of power exemplifies the complex intersection of media, politics, and sports in Pakistan.
Naqvi’s media empire, the City Media Group, established his initial credibility before his political ascension. Following his journalism degree from Ohio University and early career experience at CNN, he founded multiple television channels including City 42 and 24 News, positioning himself as a significant media mogul. However, his rapid transition from caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab (January 2023 to February 2024) to Interior Minister and PCB Chairman in 2024 raised eyebrows about his qualifications for cricket administration.
His appointment as Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman in February 2024 was particularly controversial, given his complete lack of professional cricket experience. Critics argued that his political connections, rather than sporting credentials, secured his position. This criticism intensified when he was elected Asian Cricket Council President in April 2025, giving him control over regional cricket governance.
The Genesis of Conflict: From Pahalgam to Operation Sindoor
The roots of the Naqvi-Modi controversy trace back to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which fundamentally altered India-Pakistan relations. Twenty-six innocent civilians, primarily Hindu tourists, were killed in cold blood by militants affiliated with Pakistan-based terrorist groups. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-backed terrorist organization.
India’s response came in the form of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7-8, 2025. Named after the vermilion powder used in Hindu religious ceremonies, the operation targeted nine terrorist training camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to Indian defense officials, over 100 terrorists, trainers, and handlers were eliminated in these precision strikes, which specifically avoided civilian and military targets.
The operation marked a significant escalation in India’s anti-terrorism strategy. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh later described it as demonstrating “not just military capability, but also national resolve, morality and political acumen”. The Indian government emphasized that the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” targeting only terrorist infrastructure.
Pakistan’s retaliation was swift and extensive. On May 10, 2025, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, using missiles, drones, rockets, and electronic warfare systems to target Indian Air Force bases, army installations, and military cantonments across multiple states. However, India’s integrated air defense systems, including S-400 missile systems and counter-drone grids, successfully intercepted the attacks.
Cricket as a Casualty of Geopolitical Tensions
Indian cricket players celebrate victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final
The four-day military conflict, though contained through international mediation and a ceasefire on May 10, 2025, cast a long shadow over sporting relations. When the Asia Cup 2025 commenced in September, cricket became an unwitting theater for displaying national pride and political posturing.
From the tournament’s outset, India adopted an unprecedented stance of refusing all diplomatic courtesies with Pakistan. The Indian team systematically avoided handshakes with Pakistani players across all three encounters, skipped pre-match photoshoots, and maintained complete social distancing throughout the competition.
Suryakumar Yadav, India’s captain, made the political undertones explicit by dedicating victories “to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack” and to the Indian armed forces. His statement that “a few things in life are ahead of sportsmen’s spirit” encapsulated India’s position that national security concerns superseded sporting etiquette.
The tensions escalated when Pakistani players, particularly Haris Rauf, responded with provocative gestures. Rauf’s fighter-jet celebration and “6-0” gesture during matches were interpreted as references to Pakistan’s claims of shooting down Indian aircraft during Operation Sindoor. These actions resulted in ICC fines for both Rauf and Suryakumar Yadav for breaching conduct codes.
The Trophy Controversy: An Unprecedented Diplomatic Standoff
Indian cricket team celebrates a significant victory over Pakistan with confetti and cheers in a high-energy moment on the field
The Asia Cup 2025 final on September 28, 2025, at Dubai International Stadium was supposed to be cricket’s pinnacle moment, but instead became its most embarrassing diplomatic failure. India’s convincing five-wicket victory over Pakistan should have been celebrated with the traditional trophy presentation, but Mohsin Naqvi’s insistence on personally conducting the ceremony triggered an unprecedented standoff.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had made their position crystal clear: they would not accept the trophy from Naqvi, who represented “a country currently at odds with India” and was actively involved in Pakistan’s political and military apparatus. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia explained: “We decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main political leaders of Pakistan”.
India requested that Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni present the trophy instead, but Naqvi refused to allow this alternative arrangement. The standoff lasted over an hour, with Naqvi waiting on the presentation stage while Indian players remained at a distance, creating an increasingly tense atmosphere.
The situation reached its nadir when Naqvi, faced with India’s unwavering refusal, made the unprecedented decision to leave the venue with the trophy and winners’ medals. Video footage captured the exact moment when Naqvi stormed off the stage, with officials carrying away the silverware, leaving the champions stranded without their hard-earned rewards.
Modi’s Victory Tweet: Operation Sindoor
The controversy reached new heights when Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted his congratulatory message on X (formerly Twitter), directly referencing the earlier military operation. Modi’s tweet read: “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same – India wins! Congrats to our cricketers”.
This message was strategically crafted to draw parallels between India’s military success in Operation Sindoor and their cricket victory over Pakistan. By invoking the military operation’s name, Modi effectively transformed a sporting achievement into a symbol of national superiority across multiple domains – military, diplomatic, and sporting.
The tweet resonated powerfully with Indian audiences who saw it as a continuation of their country’s assertive foreign policy stance. Modi’s reference to consistent outcomes regardless of the battleground – whether military operations or cricket matches – reinforced the narrative of Indian dominance over Pakistan.
Naqvi’s Inflammatory Response: Escalating Diplomatic Crisis
Mohsin Naqvi’s response to Modi’s tweet marked a dangerous escalation in diplomatic rhetoric. Rather than maintaining the dignity expected of a sports administrator, Naqvi chose to engage in a war of words that further politicized cricket.
Naqvi’s tweet read: “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”.
This response contained several problematic elements. First, Naqvi’s claim about Pakistan’s historical military victories against India was factually incorrect, as Pakistan has never won a full-scale war against India. The 1971 war, which led to Bangladesh’s creation, stands as perhaps the most decisive Indian victory.
Second, Naqvi’s accusation that India was “dragging war into sport” was hypocritical, given his own social media posts throughout the tournament. He had shared provocative videos, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s fighter-jet gesture and images of Pakistani cricketers in flight suits with fighter jets in the background, clearly mixing military imagery with cricket.
Impact on Cricket Diplomacy and Regional Relations
The Naqvi-Modi controversy represents a watershed moment in cricket diplomacy, potentially ending decades of the sport serving as a bridge between hostile neighbors. BCCI’s decision to lodge formal protests with both the Asian Cricket Council and the International Cricket Council signals that this incident will have lasting consequences for cricket governance.
The controversy has exposed the complete breakdown of sporting protocols between the two nations. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha accused India of “disrespecting cricket” and setting dangerous precedents. However, Indian officials countered that accepting awards from officials actively involved in anti-India activities would compromise national dignity.
International cricket experts have expressed concern about the politicization of sport reaching unprecedented levels. The incident has raised questions about whether India and Pakistan can continue participating in the same tournaments without creating diplomatic incidents.
The Broader Implications: When Sport Becomes Statecraft
India launches military operation ‘Sindoor’ after Pahalgam terror attack, featuring a soldier in combat gear
The Mohsin Naqvi controversy illustrates how modern conflicts extend beyond traditional diplomatic channels into sporting arenas. Cricket, historically a unifying force in South Asian relations, has become another battleground for expressing national grievances and political positions.
Naqvi’s dual roles as Interior Minister and cricket administrator created an inherent conflict of interest that was bound to generate controversy. His involvement in Pakistan’s security apparatus made him an unacceptable figure for India to engage with in a sporting context, especially given the recent military conflict.
The incident has also highlighted the challenges facing international cricket governance. The International Cricket Council now faces the difficult task of managing tournaments involving politically hostile nations while maintaining sporting integrity.
Conclusion: The Price of Mixing Politics with Sport
The Mohsin Naqvi-Prime Minister Modi controversy represents more than a sporting disagreement; it symbolizes the complete breakdown of diplomatic civility between India and Pakistan. What began as a terror attack in Pahalgam has culminated in the politicization of cricket at the highest levels.
Naqvi’s actions – from taking away the trophy to engaging in inflammatory rhetoric – have damaged cricket’s reputation and potentially ended any prospect of normal sporting relations between the two countries. His response to Modi’s tweet revealed the depth of animosity and the inability of sports officials to maintain professional decorum.
The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of appointing politically active individuals to sports administration roles. When cricket administrators also serve as government ministers, sporting events inevitably become extensions of political conflicts rather than opportunities for peaceful competition.
Moving forward, both nations must decide whether cricket can survive as a neutral space for competition or whether it will remain hostage to broader political tensions. The Mohsin Naqvi controversy suggests that the golden age of cricket diplomacy between India and Pakistan may be permanently over, replaced by an era where every boundary and wicket carries political weight.
The lasting image from the Asia Cup 2025 final will not be India’s victory or Pakistan’s spirited performance, but of empty hands reaching for a trophy that was taken away in anger – a metaphor for how politics has robbed cricket of its joy and unity in the subcontinent