NEW DELHI: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday said the Indian team is "welcome" to collect the Asia Cup trophy from the council’s headquarters in Dubai, as the controversy over the champions being denied the prize refuses to die down. In a post on X, Naqvi dismissed reports that he apologised to BCCI officials during Tuesday's ACC AGM. The claims stemmed from his actions at Sunday’s presentation ceremony, when he walked away with the trophy after the Indian players declined to receive it from him. Look how they are running away with the Asia Cup trophy on Mohsin Naqvi’s instructions.🤡😭Trophy chor 🤡 pic.twitter.com/heAVC2vkhQ — 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) September 29, 2025 Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board chief and his country’s interior minister, is known for his strong anti-India political stance. "Indian media thrives on lies, not facts. Let me make it absolutely clear: I have done nothing wrong and I have never apologised to the BCCI nor will I ever do so," Naqvi wrote in a post on X. "This fabricated nonsense is nothing but cheap propaganda, aimed only at misleading their own people. Unfortunately, India continues to drag politics into cricket, damaging the very spirit of the game." "As ACC President, I was ready to hand over the trophy that very day and I am still ready now. If they truly want it, they are welcome to come to the ACC office and collect it from me," he added. BCCI representatives Ashish Shelar and Rajeev Shukla voiced a strong protest during the ACC AGM over the Asia Cup trophy not being formally presented to the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side after their victory against Pakistan in the final. Naqvi assured the Indian officials on Tuesday that he was willing to hand over the trophy to the team. However, with no resolution on the matter during the AGM, the BCCI leadership was left further dissatisfied. The BCCI now plans to escalate the issue to the ICC, which is scheduled to hold its next meeting in November. The two teams played each other thrice in the tournament with India winning each time, including the final. India maintained a 'no handshake policy' with Pakistan players during the event, infuriating the PCB. The hostilities between the two neighbours are at an all-time high after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 Indian tourists were gunned down by Pakistan-backed terrorists. India had subsequently launched military action under 'Operation Sindoor' to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border.