India’s commanding 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final in Dubai ended in familiar diplomatic tension after the Indian team refused to collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday night, September 13.
Batting first, India posted 183/5, powered by a 129-run opening stand from Shafali Verma (68 off 39) and Smriti Mandhana (59). In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111, with Shree Charani taking 4/20. With this dominant win, India claimed a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, avenging their 2024 final loss to the same opposition. However, Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian side skipped the official presentation.
Following the standoff, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia clarified the board’s decision, citing national interest, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and solidarity with the Indian men’s team, which had also refused to take trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, after winning the men’s Asia Cup 2025 final at the same venue.
What Happened At The Presentation Ceremony?
After sealing their record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side celebrated on the outfield and completed their internal awards – including the team fielding medal presented by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla.
The official presentation was subsequently delayed by nearly 50 minutes as officials attempted to navigate the handover protocol:
The Snub: Naqvi took the dais to hand over mementos and the runners-up cheque to Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu.
Abrupt Conclusion: The Indian squad remained off the podium, declining to accept the silverware from Naqvi. The broadcast concluded without an official trophy presentation to the champions.
Why India Said ‘No’: Saikia’s Explanation
Speaking to media after the incident, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia backed the Indian women’s team’s stance against accepting the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi and outlined the reasons behind India’s refusal.
“Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half [a year] ago. And our whole situation since the Pahalgam incident in April 2025 changed after that. So after that there was pressure on us from our citizens that we shouldn’t keep any relations with our neighboring country and not play cricket with them.
But our government has a policy that we must play against every country in multinational tournaments. So we are following that policy and abiding by that, the BCCI sends a squad to play every team. But that doesn’t mean we will play and follow every condition laid out for us,” Saikia told IANS hours after the Women’s Asia Cup final.
“The country with which our relations were already bad and which have deteriorated considerably since April 2025 – our operation is still ongoing. One of their key leaders [Naqvi] is working against the interests of our country – we cannot receive the trophy from him.
A year ago, we did not accept the trophy in the Men’s Asia Cup. Our women’s team has also taken a decision today to express solidarity with that decision and did not accept the trophy in a similar situation,” he added.
Alternatives That Were Rejected
Saikia noted BCCI tried to resolve the presentation issue during the match but failed. He also said the board has no regrets: the priority was winning the tournament, not who handed over the cup.
“Today’s situation, we tried to solve it too but it was unsuccessful. But we have no regrets about it. Our objective was not focused on who would present the trophy. Our only objective was for the Indian team to win the match comfortably and we were successful in it,” he said.
The 57-year-old also downplayed his interaction with Naqvi in the Royal Box during the final, where BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla was also present.
“It’s not as if we wouldn’t meet anyone. I was sitting outside in the Royal Box right from the toss until the end of the game. Everyone who came met me during the match,” Saikia said.
“Shukla ji came and sat with me. The person you mentioned [Naqvi] also came and sat alongside Deputy Chairman Mr. Khalid. That’s just a normal tradition – whenever anyone comes, we meet and talk with everyone,” he added.
After their dominant win in Asia Cup 2026 final, the Indian women’s cricket team will now shift focus to upcoming Asian Games fixtures in Japan.
Bureau Report
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