September 14, 2026 09:08 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in focus: Modi meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince on BRICS sidelines | Xi Jinping lands in India for BRICS; big Modi meeting set for New Delhi | ‘Hospitality on another level’: South African official stunned by India’s BRICS hosting | Suvendu Adhikari eats fish bhog at Kalighat Temple amid Bageshwar Baba row | Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das breaks down emotionally as he gets 5-hour parole to attend mother’s funeral | Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed quits WHO post amid fraud allegations | After days of silence, China confirms Xi Jinping’s India visit for BRICS Summit | Big setback for Abhishek Banerjee as CID arrests aide Sumit Roy | Firebrand Tukaram Mundhe’s Food Safety Blitz Hits ISKCON Juhu, 3 Licences Suspended | Vande Mataram row erupts in INDIA bloc: Congress objects, ally NC hits back, BJP pounces
Asia Cup
Indian women's team refuses to accept the Asia Cup from Pakistani Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/BCCI Women/X

Asia Cup final chaos: Victorious Indian women's team refuses to accept trophy from Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi

| @indiablooms | Sep 14, 2026, at 06:41 am

The Asia Cup final once again witnessed controversy as the victorious Indian women's cricket team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's Interior Minister.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final but did not receive the winning trophy from Naqvi.

Also Read: After backlash over ‘trophy stealing act’, Mohsin Naqvi hands Asia Cup to UAE board; BCCI seeks impeachment

Naqvi was among the top ACC officials present at the venue, alongside BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and secretary Devajit Saikia, as India clinched the title.

During the official presentation ceremony, Naqvi was seen presenting the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu.

The ceremony then concluded with Athapaththu speaking to presenter and former Sri Lanka cricketer Farvez Maharoof. Naqvi subsequently left the ground with other ACC officials, while the Indian team did not receive the trophy or medals.

Saikia said India had been opposed to receiving the trophy from Naqvi and that the BCCI had proposed two alternatives to avoid a standoff.

Under the first proposal, the trophy would have been handed to the Indian team by ACC deputy chairman Khalid Al Zarooni. The second proposal was for a representative of the winning team's cricket board to present the trophy to the players.

However, Naqvi rejected both proposals.

"The Indian team was always against accepting the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi but he was still offered a couple of options. The BCCI offered Naqvi that the Asia Cup trophy be handed over to the Indian team by ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni, which of course, he turned down," Saikia told India Today.

"As per the recent norm, the representative from the Board which wins the tournament may be allowed to hand over the trophy. However, Naqvi remained adamant and the Indian team too refused to budge and refused to accept the trophy," Saikia said.

During the post-match press conference, India women's team head coach Amol Muzumdar, as quoted by India Today, said the team stood by the decision taken by the BCCI.

"That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That's good enough," Muzumdar said.

He added that the Indian team would now turn its attention to the Asian Games.

The incident also brought back memories of the 2026 men's Asia Cup final, when the Indian team was reportedly forced to wait for nearly an hour before the presentation ceremony began.

According to reports, India had requested that an Emirates Cricket Board official present the trophy instead of Naqvi, citing deteriorating relations between the two neighbours following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

Naqvi reportedly rejected the request and maintained that the Indian team would receive the trophy from him.

During the unusual presentation ceremony, an ACC official was seen removing the trophy from the stage while the Indian team waited to take part in the presentation.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.