DUBAI: India’s women’s cricket team were instructed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not to receive the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, India head coach Amol Muzumdar has revealed.
Speaking at a post-match press conference after India’s title victory in Dubai, Muzumdar said the decision came directly from the BCCI and that the players followed the board’s instructions.
“The BCCI decided that the women’s team would also not take the trophy. We are the champions of Asia and we followed the board’s decision,” Muzumdar said.
Asked when the team would eventually receive the trophy, the coach said there was no information about its collection.
“We don’t know anything about the trophy. There is no news about when we will get it,” he said.
India breaks trophy presentation protocol
The decision marked a departure from the usual tournament protocol, under which the ACC president presents the trophy to the champions.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla was reportedly present at the Dubai Cricket Stadium and attempted to persuade the Indian players to accept the trophy from Naqvi in the spirit of sportsmanship.
However, people familiar with the episode told Geo News that the players had been given strict instructions by the BCCI not to receive the trophy and not to approach the presentation stage.
As a result, the Indian players remained away from the formal trophy presentation despite winning the title.
India declines to collect Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief Naqvi
Similar incidents involving Indian teams
The latest episode echoes the Indian men’s team’s decision not to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi following the 2025 final in Dubai.
The repeated incidents have also extended to India’s age-group cricket.
In December 2025, India’s Under-19 team reportedly declined to receive its runners-up medals from Naqvi after Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the Under-19 Asia Cup final at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai.
The medals were subsequently presented by an official from the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
The latest development adds another layer to the growing controversy surrounding trophy and medal presentations involving Indian teams and Naqvi.
Cricket ceremonies caught in political tensions
The repeated snubs have added a political dimension to cricketing relations between India and Pakistan, with sporting events increasingly taking place against the backdrop of strained bilateral ties.
India’s women’s team nevertheless secured the title on the field, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup final in Dubai.
The controversy surrounding the trophy, however, has shifted attention from the team’s victory to the unresolved issue of its presentation.
