India Women Refuse to Accept Asia Cup Trophy From ACC President Mohsin Naqvi
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) before the final that the Indian women's cricket team would not accept the Asia Cup trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi if they won the tournament. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side followed through on this stance after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs to secure a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title in Dubai.
During the post-match presentation, the Indian players refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi. A source told The Indian Express that the BCCI had proactively communicated to ACC officials that the team would decline the trophy if Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, attended the presentation to hand it over.
Delays and Broadcast Cutoff
The decision led to a lengthy wait before the presentation ceremony commenced, with approximately 40 minutes passing between the fall of Sri Lanka’s final wicket and the start of the proceedings. Match officials were presented with their mementoes first, followed by Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, her teammates, and coaching staff, who stepped forward individually to receive their runners-up medals.
Athapaththu collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi, who was present in his capacity as the ACC president, and spoke to the broadcaster. The television broadcast concluded immediately after Athapaththu’s interview, without showing the Indian players receiving their winners’ medals or the Asia Cup trophy.
Team and Coach Stand Firm
India head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed that the team stood by the BCCI’s decision. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Muzumdar stated that the team considered the tournament officially over after being crowned champions.
"That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That’s good enough. It was on the big board that India champions of Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us. We are happy that we have turned out to be champions. Now, we look forward to the Asian Games," Muzumdar said.
When asked when the team might receive the trophy, Muzumdar added that there was no clarity yet on the matter.
Precedent Set by Men's Team
The incident mirrors events from the men’s Asia Cup final at the same venue last September, where the Indian men's team also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. That refusal resulted in a presentation ceremony that was delayed by more than an hour after India defeated Pakistan by five wickets.
During the men's tournament, which took place against a backdrop of heightened bilateral tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and a military conflict in May, Indian players also declined to shake hands with Pakistan’s players during their three meetings.
In that instance, the Indian team expressed willingness to accept the trophy from Emirates Cricket Board vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, but Naqvi insisted on presenting it himself. Ultimately, the ceremony ended without the champions receiving the trophy or their medals, and an official removed the trophy from the presentation area. The BCCI later backed the men's team, with Secretary Devajit Saikia stating that India declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi due to his political position in Pakistan.
