BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has explained the decision taken by the Indian women’s cricket team not to collect the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi. India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai to become champions, but Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates did not step onto the presentation podium to receive the trophy from Naqvi.
The decision attracted significant attention after the final, with India celebrating their title victory without formally collecting the silverware during the presentation ceremony. Saikia later confirmed that the decision was deliberate and said the women’s team had chosen to stand in solidarity with the Indian men’s team, which had taken a similar position after winning the men’s Asia Cup.
BCCI India Women Asia Cup Trophy Decision Explained
The BCCI India Women Asia Cup trophy controversy centred on who would present the silverware to the champions. Saikia explained that the BCCI had proposed alternatives to avoid Naqvi personally handing over the trophy to the Indian team.
One proposal was for ACC Deputy Chair Khalid Al Zarooni to present the trophy instead. Another option was for a representative of the winning board, the BCCI, to hand over the silverware based on previous tournament practices. However, Naqvi rejected both alternatives and insisted on personally presenting the trophy as ACC president.
As a result, the Indian team chose not to participate in the trophy presentation. Naqvi eventually handed the runners-up award to Sri Lanka before leaving the ground.
BCCI Secretary Latest Statement on The Controversy
The BCCI secretary latest statement made it clear that the decision was connected to the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. Saikia said that India continues to follow government policy when it comes to participating in multi-team sporting events, but argued that this does not mean players have to ignore developments outside the sporting arena.
“Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country; we can’t receive the trophy from him,” Saikia said. He added that the women’s team had expressed solidarity with the decision previously taken by the men’s team.
Saikia also stressed that people should not pretend that relations between the two countries are normal. According to him, the events taking place across the borders are known to everyone and have to be acknowledged when considering symbolic decisions surrounding sporting events.
India Women Refuse Asia Cup Trophy Presentation
The decision to India Women refuse Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi did not change the result of the tournament. India had already secured a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka and were officially recognised as the champions of the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar also backed the decision during his post-match press conference. He said the stand had been taken by the BCCI and that the team stood by it, while emphasising that India were champions regardless of whether the physical trophy was collected during the ceremony.
The tournament organisers also displayed India’s championship status on the big screen at the venue. Saikia said the BCCI considers the matter closed, with the Indian squad subsequently leaving Dubai for Japan to participate in the Asian Games.
For the Indian team, the focus has now shifted from the presentation controversy to their upcoming commitments. The Asia Cup title remains India’s achievement, while the trophy presentation has become a separate issue involving the sporting protocol and wider geopolitical tensions.
