India Women Refuse to Collect Asia Cup Trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

India’s women’s cricket team won the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup in commanding fashion but did not collect the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi, creating another controversial ending to an Asia Cup tournament.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 13. The victory gave India a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, but attention quickly shifted from the result on the field to events surrounding the post-match presentation. 

According to the Associated Press, the Indian team declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The presentation ceremony was affected by the disagreement, and India did not receive the trophy from him. The BCCI later arranged for the players’ winners’ medals to be distributed internally.

India dominate Sri Lanka in final

Before the presentation controversy, India produced an impressive all-round performance to regain the continental title.

After choosing to bat, India made 183 for five in 20 overs. Shafali Verma struck 68 from 39 balls, while Smriti Mandhana scored 59 from 39 deliveries. The opening pair put together a 129-run partnership, putting India firmly in control of the final. Shafali also reached her half-century from only 24 balls, reported as the fastest fifty in Women’s Asia Cup history. 

Sri Lanka struggled during their chase of 184. Left-arm spinner Sree Charani took four wickets for 20 runs, while Deepti Sharma claimed three wickets for 19. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 111, handing India a comprehensive 72-run victory. 

The result was particularly significant for India after Sri Lanka had defeated them in the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side therefore reclaimed the title two years later. 

Why did India refuse the trophy

Reports indicate that the BCCI had communicated its position to the Asian Cricket Council before the presentation ceremony. The Indian Express reported that the board had already made its stance regarding receiving the trophy from Naqvi clear to the ACC.

India head coach Amol Muzumdar subsequently backed the BCCI’s position and said the team stood by the board’s decision. He stressed that, from the team’s perspective, India remained the tournament champions regardless of what happened during the trophy presentation. 

The episode occurred against the backdrop of continuing political tensions between India and Pakistan, which have increasingly spilled into cricket-related protocols and ceremonies. 

Similar incident happened in 2025

The controversy closely resembles what happened after the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup final. India defeated Pakistan by five wickets but refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. That ceremony was delayed before eventually ending without India receiving the trophy on the podium. Reuters reported at the time that the dispute took place amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions. 

The Women’s Asia Cup incident therefore represents the second consecutive year in which an Indian Asia Cup-winning side has not received its trophy from the ACC chairman.