Asia Cup Trophy Dispute
India wins eighth Asia Cup title but declines trophy from PCB chief
Anonymous
Key Points
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Coach Amol Muzumdar said the team was united behind the BCCI’s decision, declaring, “We are united ... I am proud of every single person in this unit, including the sports staff and the players.”
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Unlike the men’s team’s celebration the previous year, India’s women did not return to the field for the presentation ceremony after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia presented Nandini Sharma with an in-house best-fielder medal; the team therefore had no on-field trophy celebration.
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The BCCI had reportedly proposed alternatives to avoid the impasse, including having ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni or a representative of the winning board present the trophy instead of Naqvi.
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The no-handshake policy extended beyond the trophy dispute: Indian players had also declined handshakes with Pakistan’s players before and after matches, including the women’s seven-wicket group-stage win over Pakistan earlier in the tournament.
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Naqvi presented Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu with the runners-up award and then left the stadium without carrying the trophy, a contrast with the previous year’s episode involving the men’s final.
India's women's cricket team won a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title on Sunday, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai. But the champions refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. The post-match presentation was delayed roughly 90 minutes, and India's players never took the field to celebrate CricTracker.
The decision mirrors the Indian men's team's refusal last year to collect their Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi. Both standoffs stem from tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 people. Coach Amol Muzumdar backed the women's choice, saying Tribune India: 'We are united... I am proud of every single person in this unit.'
How the Final Unfolded in Dubai
India posted 183 for 5 in 20 overs, led by Shafali Verma's 68 runs and Smriti Mandhana's 59. Sri Lanka managed just 111 all out in 17.5 overs. Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets for 19 runs CricTracker. The victory gave India their eighth championship title across nine Women's Asia Cup tournaments.
During Sri Lanka's collapse, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla were spotted on camera conferring with the Indian squad. After the match, the team stayed in their dressing area. Saikia presented Nandini Sharma an internal 'best fielder' award off-stage instead of during the trophy ceremony Moneycontrol.
BCCI Decided Before the Final Even Began
The BCCI informed the Asian Cricket Council on Saturday—before India played—that they would not accept any trophy or medals from Naqvi if they won. According to Saikia Tribune India: 'The entire situation changed after the April 2025 Pahalgam incident. There was pressure from our citizens that we shouldn't keep any relations with our neighbouring country.'
The BCCI had reportedly proposed alternatives: letting ACC Deputy Chair Khalid Al Zarooni present the trophy instead, or having another board representative do it. But Naqvi insisted on performing his official duties as ACC president Moneycontrol. After awarding Sri Lanka their runners-up medals and prize, Naqvi left the venue without placing the trophy on stage.
A Pattern Set by the Men's Team Last Year
India's men followed the same path during the 2025 Men's Asia Cup, also refusing Naqvi's trophy presentation. That standoff was rooted in military escalations between the two nations after the Pahalgam attack Tribune India. The BCCI extended this protocol to the women's squad as part of a broader policy banning formal diplomatic gestures—including handshakes—when cross-border political figures are involved.
Indian government policy allows national teams to compete in multi-nation tournaments on neutral ground but bars bilateral series with Pakistan. The BCCI interpreted this to include no trophy acceptances from Pakistani officials. Vice-President Shukla told Moneycontrol: 'We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it from him. It was our collective decision.'
Two Trophies Now Sit Uncollected in Dubai
The ACC confirmed both the 2025 Men's Asia Cup and 2026 Women's Asia Cup physical trophies remain available in Dubai for India to collect at any time Tribune India. The unusual situation has created friction within international cricket governance. Indian women's team players also declined handshakes with Pakistan's squad before and after their group-stage match, extending the no-contact policy beyond just the trophy dispute Moneycontrol.
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