Mumbai: The Indian women’s cricket team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi after beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs on Sunday in Dubai.
The Harmanpreet Kaur led side acted under instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who took the same stance as last year when the men’s team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi after their Asia Cup win in September, 2025.
“We did not want to be part of the presentation in line with our previous stand from a year and a half ago (men’s Asia Cup). We are yet to receive our men’s Asia Cup. But we want to keep our position intact by giving respect to a lot of our people who have given their lives at the hands of some foreign mercenaries,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told HT from Dubai.
Deep Dive
Why did the Indian women's cricket team refuse to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi?
What was the outcome of the trophy presentation ceremony after India's Asia Cup victory?
What reasons did BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia provide regarding the decision not to accept the trophy?
Naqvi, besides being the ACC president, is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Interior Minister in the Pakistan government.
The Indian team would have accepted the trophy if it was handed over by the ACC Deputy Chair. “We did request that the deputy chairperson of ACC hand over the trophy but it was not accepted. So we decided that we have no other option but to not be a part of the presentation ceremony,” Saikia said.
{{/usCountry}}The Indian team would have accepted the trophy if it was handed over by the ACC Deputy Chair. “We did request that the deputy chairperson of ACC hand over the trophy but it was not accepted. So we decided that we have no other option but to not be a part of the presentation ceremony,” Saikia said.
{{/usCountry}}“The BCCI congratulates the women’s team for their thumping win in the Asia Cup. The whole country is totally elated and proud of our cricketers. At some stage, we will get both trophies back,” he added.
Saikia was present at the stadium and met the women’s team after the win, handing over in-house fielding medals. On the podium, once the Sri Lankan team accepted their runners up medals and prize money, the presenter concluded the presentation ceremony.
The Indian team has also done away with the custom of handshakes with Pakistani teams on the cricket field following the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack which was followed by Operation Sindoor.