India’s women’s cricket team refused to collect the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chief and Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi after the Board of Control for Cricket in India directed the team not to accept it from him.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday, September 13, to win the continental title. However, the post-match celebrations were overshadowed by a tense trophy presentation, as Naqvi was not involved in handing over the winners’ trophy to the Indian team.
India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed that the decision had been taken by the BCCI. He said the players and support staff stood by the governing body’s position and had no regrets about refusing the trophy from Naqvi.
“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,” Muzumdar said during the post-match press conference.
He added that India’s achievement should not be affected by the events surrounding the presentation.
“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,” the coach said.
Muzumdar also praised the players and support staff for their performance throughout the tournament, saying he was proud of every member of the squad.
“The fact that we are champions, we are really glad and I am really proud of every single person in this unit. Including the support staff and the players, needless to say,” he added.
India Refuse Trophy from Naqvi
India produced a commanding performance against Sri Lanka in the final, securing a 72-run victory and lifting the Women’s Asia Cup. Yet the official ceremony ended without the Indian players receiving the trophy from Naqvi.
The PCB chief was present at the venue and sat alongside BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and secretary Devajit Saikia as India secured the title. Following the victory, the Indian players gathered around Muzumdar, with Shukla and Saikia joining the celebrations.
Naqvi, meanwhile, was seen speaking to other dignitaries on the field.
When the official presentation began, Naqvi handed the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. The ceremony concluded shortly after Athapaththu spoke to the presenters and former Sri Lankan cricketer Farvez Maharoof.
Naqvi subsequently left the ground with other ACC officials. The Indian team was still without the winners’ trophy and medals at that point.
BCCI Offered Two Alternatives
Saikia later said the BCCI had always opposed the idea of India receiving the trophy from Naqvi. However, he claimed that the board had offered two alternatives to ensure the presentation could take place.
The first proposal was for ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni to hand over the trophy to the Indian team. The second option was for a representative of the winning board to present the trophy, following recent practice.
According to Saikia, Naqvi rejected both options, while the Indian team also refused to change its position.
“The Indian team was always against accepting the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi but he was still offered a couple of options,” Saikia told India Today.
He said Naqvi remained adamant about presenting the trophy himself, leading to the standoff.
Similar Dispute in Men’s Asia Cup
The controversy echoes the events of the men’s Asia Cup final in September 2025.
After India defeated Pakistan to win the title, the Indian team reportedly waited for more than an hour for the trophy presentation. India had requested that an Emirates Cricket Board official present the trophy instead of Naqvi, citing strained relations between India and Pakistan.
Naqvi rejected the request and insisted that the Indian captain collect the trophy from him. The disagreement resulted in an unusual conclusion, with an ACC official eventually removing the trophy while the Indian players waited to take the stage.
The latest incident has again brought cricket and India-Pakistan tensions into focus. Despite the controversy, Muzumdar insisted that India’s title triumph remained the most important outcome of the tournament.
