India women refuse Asia Cup trophy in protest over Pakistani official

The Indian women’s cricket team secured their eighth Asia Cup title in Dubai on Sunday, but they left the stadium without their trophy after refusing to accept it from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi.

The dramatic stand-off at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium mirrored a protest by the Indian men's team at the same tournament last year, highlighting the deep geopolitical tensions that continue to spill onto the cricket field. Naqvi is not only the head of the ACC and the Pakistan Cricket Board, but he also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister.

Dominance on the pitch

India's 72-run victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday, September 13, 2026, was dominant. Openers Smriti Mandhana, who scored 59, and Shafali Verma, with 68, put on a commanding 129-run partnership to help post 183 for five. Once India's Deepti Sharma took the prized wicket of Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka's chase faltered, leaving India to comfortably wrap up the match.

But the sporting triumph was quickly overshadowed by administrative chaos. Tension began to build as TV cameras spotted Naqvi in the VIP stands, sitting near BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla. Knowing that Naqvi was slated to present the silverware, Indian officials entered lengthy discussions behind the scenes.

The post-match presentation was delayed by nearly 50 minutes as organisers tried to navigate the impasse. The Indian Express reported that the BCCI had warned the ACC ahead of the match that the team would not accept the trophy if Naqvi was on the podium.

Empty podium in Dubai

When the ceremony finally started, the Indian squad stayed firmly in the dressing room. Only the match officials and the Sri Lankan runners-up took part. Athapaththu collected her team’s runners-up cheque from Naqvi and gave her post-match interview, at which point the official broadcast abruptly ended.

Instead of a grand trophy lift on the pitch, the only presentation the Indian team took part in was an in-house ceremony in the dressing room, where Saikia handed Nandini Sharma a best fielder medal.

India's head coach, Amol Muzumdar, made no apologies for the boycott. He confirmed the team stood squarely behind the board's decision.

"That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it," Muzumdar said in his post-match press conference. "For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That's good enough. This tournament is officially over for us."

When asked when the players might actually receive their winners' medals or the physical trophy, Muzumdar replied: "No news as yet. So, I cannot answer that."

A familiar diplomatic stand-off

The incident is a carbon copy of last year's men's Asia Cup final, where Suryakumar Yadav’s side also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. That stand-off delayed the presentation by over an hour and resulted in the Indian men's team celebrating on the podium with an imaginary trophy lift.

The backdrop to both protests lies in diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan. Last year's men's tournament was played amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, leading players from both nations to refuse to shake hands.

That men's trophy is still sitting in the ACC’s Dubai offices. It appears the women's trophy is now destined to join it.