India’s cricket team lifted its eighth Women’s Asia Cup title on Sunday but stayed away from the presentation ceremony, refusing to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also holds the post of Pakistan’s interior minister.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to reclaim the title from 2024 champions Sri Lanka, extending their record to eight Women’s Asia Cup wins. Despite the comfortable victory, the post-match ceremony was delayed by more than 45 minutes, and match officials say neither the Indian players nor their support staff appeared on stage once it eventually began.
Why India Skipped the Trophy Ceremony
🚨 Mohsin Naqvi stands firm while India refuse to accept the winners trophy from him. https://t.co/a9bagfqxrC
— Ramzy 🇵🇰🇬🇧 (@Ramz_004) September 13, 2026
The Indian players and coaching staff were seen standing together outside their dressing room ahead of the ceremony but did not step onto the stage. Sri Lanka’s runners-up medals were presented by Naqvi, and captain Chamari Athapaththu spoke about her team’s campaign, but no individual awards were distributed and the Indian squad was not called up for medals or the trophy.
India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, confirmed after the match that the decision came from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rather than the players themselves. He said the board had taken a firm stand on the matter and that the team fully supported it, adding that winning the tournament was what mattered most to the squad. The Indian team’s official social media later posted a group photo of the players and staff taken in an empty stadium after the ceremony concluded.
A Repeat of the Men’s Asia Cup Controversy
This is not the first time India has declined a trophy presented by Naqvi. A similar scene played out roughly a year earlier, when India beat Pakistan in the Men’s Asia Cup final at the same Dubai venue and again refused to collect the trophy from him. Naqvi, who also chairs the Pakistan Cricket Board, presided over that ceremony as ACC chief as well.
Following that men’s final incident, BCCI chairman Devajit Saikia had publicly stated that the board would not accept the trophy from an ACC leader who is also a senior political figure in Pakistan, underlining that the decision was rooted in the country’s stance toward Naqvi’s political role rather than the sport itself.
India’s Title Triumph Remains the Main Story
Pure joy and unfiltered emotions 🥳
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 14, 2026
🎥 Catch #TeamIndia's heartwarming 𝙍𝙖𝙬 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 moments after sealing the #WomensAsiaCup triumph 🇮🇳🏆#INDvSL pic.twitter.com/e4zYfBAvSE
Despite the controversy surrounding the ceremony, India’s performance on the field remained the defining feature of the tournament. The victory over Sri Lanka gave the team its eighth Women’s Asia Cup title and reinforced India’s dominance in the competition.
