India Women created history by winning the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, the celebrations were followed by a major controversy during the presentation ceremony as the Indian team did not collect the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council President and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi.
The Indian players celebrated their title victory on the field, but the team did not receive the trophy or winners’ medals on stage. The unusual ending became the India Women Asia Cup trophy controversy, with the presentation ceremony ending without the champions formally receiving the silverware.
India Refuse Asia Cup Trophy During Presentation
The presentation ceremony was delayed for almost an hour after the match ended at around 9:50 PM local time. Officials were reportedly trying to find a solution to the protocol issue involving Naqvi and the Indian team.
Sri Lanka received their runners-up medals, while captain Chamari Athapaththu was presented with the runners-up cheque by Naqvi. However, the Indian team was never called onto the stage. Individual awards, including the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament honours, were also not presented during the ceremony.
The event ended with the trophy remaining unawarded on stage. Naqvi and ACC officials left the venue with the silverware, while Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates celebrated their historic victory separately on the field.
Why Did India Refuse the Asia Cup Trophy?
According to BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and India Women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar, the decision was part of an official BCCI directive. The Indian women’s team followed the position taken by the men’s team during the 2025 Asia Cup.
The Indian men’s team had also refused to collect the trophy from Naqvi after winning the 2025 Asia Cup. The decision was linked to political tensions between India and Pakistan, with the BCCI maintaining its objection to receiving a trophy from Naqvi because of his roles as PCB Chairman, ACC President and Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
Saikia said the women’s team wanted to show solidarity with the men’s team and had no regrets about the decision. He stressed that winning the tournament remained the team’s primary objective.
BCCI Proposed Alternative Trophy Presentation
The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy controversy also involved attempts to find an alternative solution. The BCCI reportedly proposed that Khalid Al Zarooni, the ACC Deputy Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, present the trophy to the Indian team instead of Naqvi.
Another proposal was to follow the usual convention of having an official from the winning country’s cricket board hand over the trophy. However, neither proposal resulted in an agreement, and the presentation ceremony was ultimately brought to an end.
Muzumdar backed the decision and said the team was satisfied with being champions. He maintained that the trophy presentation did not change India’s achievement after their dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka.
India Celebrate Historic Asia Cup Triumph
While India refuse Asia Cup trophy, they remain the champions of Asia. The team had produced a commanding performance in the final and secured another Women’s Asia Cup title.
The players focus on their achievement before leaving Dubai for Japan, where they will take part in the women’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games.
