Indian women won their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, and what was supposed to be a happy celebration ended in controversy once again. Mohsin Naqvi went on stage to present India with the trophy, but the team didn't accept it, and the ceremony was delayed by almost an hour.
It has come to light that the decision was already made and communicated beforehand, yet Naqvi decided to go on stage to present the trophy to India.
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A source told The Indian Express that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally notified the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of its position before the Women’s Asia Cup final, stating that the Indian team would not accept the trophy from ACC president Naqvi if India reached the final and he was present to present it.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs on Sunday to claim a record-extending eighth title. Consistent with the pre-communicated stance, the players declined to receive the trophy or medals from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.
The BCCI had made clear that the decision stemmed from Naqvi’s dual role as a senior Pakistani political leader and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Officials argued that the ACC president’s position did not justify withholding the silverware from the champions.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka collected their runners-up awards from Naqvi, but India’s winners’ medals and trophy were not presented on air as they celebrated the historic victory on the sidelines. The BCCI has indicated it will raise the issue with the International Cricket Council. On the other hand, head coach Amol Muzumdar has supported the stance by the BCCI and the team to refuse the collection of the trophy from Naqvi.
This followed a similar refusal by the Indian men’s team in the 2025 Asia Cup final at the same venue in September. Naqvi attended the trophy presentation then too, as it was stretched to more than an hour, and the men’s team decided to not receiver the trophy from Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Naqvi.
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