DUBAI: India’s women’s cricket team declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Sri Lanka in the final on Sunday, according to ACC sources.
The trophy presentation protocol had reportedly been finalised in advance, with the trophy available for the victorious Indian team. However, the players did not come out of the dressing room to collect the silverware.
Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu, meanwhile, accepted the runners-up prize-money cheque from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.
The incident has triggered another controversy surrounding the presentation of an Asia Cup trophy to an Indian team in the presence of Naqvi.
ACC says position remains unchanged
ACC sources said India had made the decision not to receive the trophy from the council president despite the presentation arrangements having been finalised beforehand.
“The trophy is available to the winning Indian team,” the sources said, adding that the previous trophy won by India also remained available and was awaiting collection.
“Our position has not changed,” the sources added.
The sources further said Naqvi had not changed his position and continued to maintain the same stance on the trophy presentation.
They described the development as another instance in which politics had overshadowed cricket and said the decision was contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship.
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India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs
India secured the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2026 title with a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the final at the Dubai International Stadium.
Despite the on-field result, the trophy presentation became the focus of attention following India’s decision not to collect the silverware from Naqvi.
The episode is similar to a controversy during last year’s men’s Asia Cup, when India reportedly declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final.
On that occasion, Naqvi remained firm on presenting the trophy himself, resulting in a delay of around 90 minutes to the post-match ceremony.
With neither side agreeing to change its position, the ceremony ended without the trophy being handed to the Indian players. The organisers subsequently took the trophy away and returned it to the ACC office.
Latest controversy follows India-Pakistan tensions
The 2025 incident occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Pakistan and India following their military conflict in May, with political tensions affecting the cricket tournament.
According to insiders cited in the report, the earlier decision was taken on the directives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The latest incident has once again raised questions over the intersection of cricket and politics, although the Indian team’s decision not to attend the trophy presentation has not been publicly explained in the material available.
The ACC, meanwhile, has maintained that its position remains unchanged and that the trophy is available for the champions to collect.
