The Indian women’s cricket team refused to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday. Naqvi is the president of the Asian Cricket Council and also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board. The incident happened after India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates celebrated their record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. However, when the presentation ceremony took place, the Indian team did not collect the trophy from Naqvi. The ceremony ended with Sri Lanka receiving their runners-up cheque, medals, and mementoes from the officials.
Naqvi was present at the stadium throughout the match. Cameras showed him seated alongside dignitaries, including BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and secretary Devajit Saikia. Naqvi later went on stage to hand the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. After Athapaththu spoke to Farvez Maharoof, the presentation ceremony came to an end. The Indian team did not collect the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi.
This is not the first time such an incident has happened. A year ago, there was a controversy involving Naqvi and the Indian men’s team during the Asia Cup final. During that match, India defeated Pakistan. The Indian players were left waiting for more than an hour to receive the trophy and medals.
BCCI Explains Why India Women Refused Asia Cup Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi After Historic Win
The Indian women’s cricket team refused to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday. The BCCI has now explained the reason behind this decision. The incident happened after India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later explained the decision. He said the men’s team had won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. He said the whole situation changed after the April 2025 Pahalgam incident. After that, there was pressure from Indian citizens. They did not want any relations with the neighbouring country. They also did not want India to play cricket with them. But the government’s policy is that India must play against every country in multinational tournaments.
Saikia said that does not mean India will follow every condition laid out for them. He said the military conflict is still ongoing. He said one of the main leaders is working against the interests of the country. He said they cannot receive the trophy from him. The women’s team has expressed solidarity with the decision taken by the men’s team last year.
Saikia also said this does not diminish the team’s performances. He said India won all their matches in a one-sided manner. He said women’s cricket has been growing well in India. He said there is no bigger evidence of that than this win. He also said the whole planning is geared towards the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.
The Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 escalated tensions between India and Pakistan. After that, India’s men’s team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during last year’s Asia Cup. They also did not accept the trophy from Naqvi. The women’s team later followed suit during the ODI World Cup and in later tournaments.
Saikia also addressed visuals of him speaking with Shukla and Naqvi in the Royal Box. He said it is not as if they would not meet anyone. He said he was sitting outside in the Royal Box from the toss until the end of the game. He said everyone who came met him during the match. He said the person in question also came and sat alongside Deputy Chairman Khalid Al Zarooni. He said that is just a normal tradition. Their ultimate priority was for the Indian team to win. They achieved that. He also said the conversation around the trophy was about the Asian Games, not about whether the trophy should be taken or not.
FAQs
Q. Who did India beat to win the Women’s Asia Cup?
A. India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs.
Q. How many Women’s Asia Cup titles has India won?
A. India has won a record eight titles.
Q. Who was supposed to present the trophy to India?
A. Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.
Q. Why did India not accept the trophy from Naqvi?
A. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the team did not want to receive it from him.
Q. Who is the India women’s team captain?
A. Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain.
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