Indian women won their record-extending Asia Cup title after a dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side posted 183-5, powered by an opening stand of 129 between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111.
However, the triumph was overshadowed by a familiar controversy. The Indian side refused to accept the trophy or winners’ medals from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
The presentation ceremony was delayed by almost an hour as Naqvi waited to present the trophy on the podium. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu collected the runners-up cheque from Naqvi, and the Indian team stayed away from the stage. Naqvi later left without the trophy, which remains with the ACC while the team celebrated the victory at the sidelines.
When will Indian women receive Asia Cup trophy after refusing to accept it from Mohsin Naqvi?
Meanwhile, head coach Amol Muzumdar has provided his full support for the decision. When asked about the exact possibility of receiving the title, the head coach said, as per a report in The Indian Express:
“No news as yet. So, I cannot answer that.”
The decision mirrored the Indian men’s team’s stance after winning the 2025 Asia Cup against Pakistan, when they also declined the trophy from Naqvi amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the April 2025 Pahalgam incident.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia described the women’s team’s action as an expression of solidarity, stating that India cannot receive the trophy from “one of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country” while the military conflict continues.
Officials have indicated it is expected to be returned in due course, similar to ongoing discussions around the men’s silverware, with the BCCI planning further engagement at upcoming ACC or ICC meetings. For now, the team has shifted its entire focus to the upcoming Asian Games, which is around the corner.
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