India won the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The victory gave India a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, but the post-match presentation created a separate controversy. The Indian players did not attend the official trophy ceremony because Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi was due to present the awards. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later confirmed that the board had informed the ACC about its position before the final. India therefore celebrated the championship but did not accept the trophy from Naqvi during the official ceremony.
What Happened at the Women’s Asia Cup Trophy Presentation
The controversy began after India completed a dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final. India had already secured the championship on the field, but the players did not return for the official trophy presentation when Naqvi was involved.
Sri Lanka’s players took part in the ceremony and received their runners-up medals and other awards. The Indian team, however, remained away from the stage and did not collect the championship trophy from Naqvi. BCCI officials Devajit Saikia and Rajeev Shukla were present and had spoken to the players before the official presentation began.
The decision was not presented by the BCCI as a rejection of the tournament or its title. Instead, the board distinguished between participating in the Asia Cup and accepting the trophy from a particular official. Saikia said the BCCI had communicated its position to the ACC before the final, meaning the decision had been made before India defeated Sri Lanka.
India Won the Final by 72 Runs
India produced a commanding performance to defeat Sri Lanka by 72 runs and win their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
After being asked to bat, India scored 183/5, with Smriti Mandhana making 59 from 39 balls and Shafali Verma scoring 68 from 39. The opening pair added 129 runs, putting India in control before Sri Lanka began their chase.
Sri Lanka were then bowled out for 111 in 20 overs. Sree Charani took 4/20, and Deepti Sharma claimed 3/19 as India completed a comprehensive victory. The result itself was never disputed; India were clear champions on the field.
The Trophy Ceremony Was Skipped
After the match, India did not take part in the official trophy presentation. The players had already celebrated their victory and received recognition from BCCI officials before the formal ceremony.
When the official presentation began, Sri Lanka collected their runners-up awards while the Indian players were absent. Naqvi was present as ACC president and was scheduled to be involved in the presentation, but India did not accept the trophy from him.
The BCCI later made clear that the trophy itself was not being rejected as a symbol of the championship. Saikia said the board would ensure the team received the trophy, while reports on the immediate aftermath said the Indian players celebrated their title without the silverware on the field.
Why Did India Refuse the Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi?
The decision was linked to the BCCI’s established position regarding interactions with Naqvi in the current India-Pakistan political environment. Naqvi is not only the ACC president but also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board had informed the ACC before the final that India would not accept the trophy if Naqvi presented it. The explanation is important because it shows that the decision was not made spontaneously after the match.
The BCCI has maintained that Indian teams can compete in multinational tournaments while still avoiding a particular ceremonial interaction with a Pakistani official. That distinction was also visible during the 2025 men’s Asia Cup, when India followed a similar approach after winning the tournament.
BCCI Had Communicated Its Position in Advance
According to Saikia, the BCCI had already communicated its position to the ACC before the Women’s Asia Cup final.
That meant the ACC was aware that the Indian team would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if he remained the presenter. The decision was therefore not simply an emotional response to the result or the atmosphere after the final.
Saikia’s explanation also established why India could participate normally in the tournament while taking a different position during the presentation. The BCCI treated the trophy ceremony as a separate matter from the team’s participation in the Asia Cup itself.
Why the Political Context Matters
The issue cannot be separated from the wider tensions between India and Pakistan. Cricket between the two countries has repeatedly been affected by political developments, including during major women’s tournaments such as the India vs Pakistan Women’s T20 World Cup .
However, it is important to distinguish the documented position from speculation about the players themselves. The BCCI stated its position through its officials, while coach Amol Muzumdar later said the team was united behind the board’s decision.
The key point is that India’s objection was directed at the trophy presentation involving Naqvi, not at competing in the ACC tournament or accepting the result that made them Asian champions.
What Role Did Mohsin Naqvi Have in the Ceremony?
Mohsin Naqvi’s involvement came primarily from his position as president of the Asian Cricket Council. The Women’s Asia Cup is an ACC tournament, making the ACC president one of the senior officials associated with the event and its presentation ceremony.
At the same time, Naqvi holds two other prominent positions that make his involvement particularly sensitive for India. He is chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.
That combination of roles explains why a standard tournament presentation became politically significant. From the ACC’s perspective, Naqvi was present in his capacity as its president. From the BCCI’s perspective, however, his Pakistani government and cricket roles were also relevant to the decision not to interact with him during the ceremony.
Naqvi’s ACC Position
Naqvi’s presence at the final was connected to his role as ACC president. The Asian Cricket Council oversees the Asia Cup, so his involvement in the tournament’s formal events was part of the organisation’s administration.
This is an important distinction because the controversy was not about an unrelated Pakistani official being invited to present the trophy. Naqvi was the head of the continental cricket body responsible for the competition.
The BCCI’s position therefore created a direct clash between tournament protocol and its decision to avoid a trophy presentation involving him.
His PCB and Government Roles Added Sensitivity
Naqvi’s position as PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister added another layer to the situation.
The BCCI has taken a different approach to ceremonial interactions with Pakistani officials in the recent period. That became clear again after the women’s final, when the Indian team chose not to participate in the presentation despite Naqvi’s position as ACC president.
The distinction between his ACC role and his other positions was therefore central to the controversy.
How the 2026 Controversy Connects to the 2025 Asia Cup
The 2026 incident closely followed what happened during the 2025 men’s Asia Cup. India’s men’s team also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi after winning the tournament, creating a precedent for the decision taken by the women’s team.
The repetition made the 2026 presentation more significant because it was no longer an isolated incident. Both Indian teams had now won the Asia Cup while declining to receive the trophy from the ACC president.
The BCCI’s position therefore appeared consistent across the two tournaments, rather than being an individual decision made by Harmanpreet Kaur or the women’s squad after the final.
What Happened With India Men in 2025?
India’s men’s team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defeated Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup final. However, the team did not accept the trophy from Naqvi during the delayed presentation ceremony.
The episode created considerable discussion because Naqvi was both ACC president and PCB chairman. India celebrated the title separately rather than taking part in the presentation involving him.
The 2025 incident subsequently became the clearest precedent for the women’s team’s decision one year later.
Why the Women’s Team Repeated the Stand
The women’s team’s decision followed the same broad BCCI position. The players did not participate in the presentation when Naqvi was involved, even though they had just won the championship.
Coach Amol Muzumdar publicly backed the board’s decision and said the team stood together behind it. He also stressed that India were champions because of what they had achieved on the field.
His comments made clear that the players viewed the tournament victory as the central achievement rather than the presentation ceremony.
What BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia Said
Devajit Saikia’s comments provided the clearest explanation of the BCCI’s position. He said the board had informed the ACC before the final that the Indian team would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if he was involved in the presentation.
Saikia also separated the issue from India’s participation in the tournament. The team had competed throughout the Asia Cup, reached the final and won the championship convincingly.
The BCCI’s argument was therefore not that India should withdraw from an ACC event. Instead, it maintained that competing in the tournament and participating in a particular trophy presentation were separate matters. Saikia said the important achievement was winning the tournament, while the trophy itself would be obtained through the appropriate process.
India Could Participate Without Accepting the Trophy From Naqvi
India’s participation in the Asia Cup showed the distinction clearly. The team played its matches, defeated its opponents and eventually won the final.
The refusal occurred only during the post-match ceremony. India did not reject the Asia Cup title or refuse to recognise the ACC competition. The team simply did not take part in the presentation where Naqvi was due to hand over the trophy.
Saikia and other BCCI officials have treated those as two separate issues, which is why the board continued to describe India as the rightful champions.
Amol Muzumdar Backed the BCCI Decision
Amol Muzumdar also supported the BCCI’s position after the final. He said the stand had been taken by the board and that the Indian team was united behind it.
Muzumdar placed the focus firmly on India’s achievement. He said the team were champions and that, for the squad, the tournament was officially over.
His comments also indicated that the players were not treating the absence from the presentation as something that diminished their victory. India had won the final by 72 runs and secured their eighth continental title.
What Happened to the Trophy After India’s Refusal?
The immediate presentation ended without India receiving the championship trophy from Naqvi. The Indian players had already left the presentation area, while Sri Lanka completed its part of the ceremony.
The BCCI later indicated that the trophy would ultimately come back to India. Reports said the board expected to retrieve both the men’s 2025 Asia Cup trophy and the women’s 2026 trophy through the appropriate process.
This means the dispute was about the manner and presenter of the award rather than India’s ownership of the championship. India remained officially recognised as the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 winner after defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
Does the Trophy Controversy Overshadow India’s Asia Cup Triumph?
The controversy attracted significant attention, but it does not change the sporting achievement. India dominated the final, scoring 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111.
The eighth title was also historically significant. India extended their record as the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup, while the performances of Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma were central to the victory.
The trophy presentation is a separate administrative and diplomatic issue. India won the tournament on the field, and the official result remains a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka.
What This Means for BCCI, ACC and Future Asia Cup Presentations
The repeated incidents involving the men’s team in 2025 and the women’s team in 2026 could force the ACC to think more carefully about trophy-presentation protocols for future tournaments.
The BCCI had communicated its position before the latest final, so clearer arrangements could potentially avoid another situation where the winning team is absent from an official presentation.
The issue also highlights the difficult position created when senior cricket administrators hold political and national-board roles alongside continental responsibilities. Future Asia Cup ceremonies may require clearer communication between the ACC and participating boards when similar circumstances arise.
Conclusion
India’s decision not to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi was linked to the BCCI’s established position on ceremonial interaction with him, rather than any dispute over India’s championship victory. The board had reportedly informed the ACC before the final that the team would not participate in the presentation if Naqvi was involved.
India then defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. The players skipped the official trophy ceremony, while BCCI officials later explained that the team remained fully committed to its position. India did not refuse the Asia Cup title, but they refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation. The BCCI has since indicated that the trophy will be obtained separately.
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