India declined to accept the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy from Asian Cricket Council President and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi following their final victory on September 14, 2026. The players were absent from the stage throughout the post-match presentation, and no footage emerged of the team lifting the trophy or celebrating with it at the ceremony.
The incident unfolded against the backdrop of heightened political tensions. While Naqvi presided over the presentation, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu stepped forward to collect the runners-up cheque, with the Indian contingent nowhere to be seen on stage. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the episode on September 15, 2026, stating that the issue came under the jurisdiction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
“The matter falls under the BCCI’s purview and comes within its jurisdiction,” Jaiswal said, as quoted by the press.
What took place at the venue during the ceremony?
Harmanpreet Kaur’s side went through the tournament without a single defeat, posting a total of 183 for 5 in the final before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111 to claim their eighth Asia Cup title. Despite the commanding win, the players did not join Naqvi on stage at any point during the presentation.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla were both present at the ground. Before the formal ceremony began, Saikia and Shukla handed the best fielder award to pacer Nandani Sharma, and Saikia offered his congratulations to the squad. The trophy exchange between Naqvi and the Indian players, however, did not happen.
Naqvi occupies three significant positions simultaneously – he is ACC President, PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister. His role at the presentation therefore carried both a sporting and a political dimension, lending additional weight to India’s decision to stay off the stage.
Is this the first time India has taken such a stance?
This was not an isolated incident. Roughly a year earlier, the India men’s team adopted an identical position after winning the Men’s Asia Cup in September 2025, choosing not to accept the trophy from Naqvi on that occasion either.
The BCCI had not released any separate public statement on the women’s team’s decision as of September 15, 2026. Whether the trophy was subsequently handed to the India squad through a different arrangement, or whether it remained with the ACC, had not been confirmed at the time of writing.
