India Refused the Women’s Asia Cup Winner Trophy; Here Is the Reason

India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 on September 13 but did not attend the trophy presentation led by ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.

The Indian women’s cricket team did not collect the Asia Cup trophy after beating Sri Lanka in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The presentation ceremony faced a delay of over 45 minutes after the match. Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, stood on the stage during the ceremony.

Social media videos showed the Indian team waiting in a circle outside their dressing room before the awards ceremony. The tournament’s official pages did not share any pictures of a trophy celebration.

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu collected the runners-up check from Naqvi. The Indian players did not appear for their medals or the trophy.

Why India Refused the Trophy

India head coach Amol Muzumdar said after the match:

“That stand has been taken by the BCCI, and we stand by it.” He added that India was a champion and that was enough for the team.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia later said the board had informed the ACC about its position before the final. He said India would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if they won.

The decision followed a similar incident during the men’s Asia Cup final in September 2025. India also refused to collect the trophy from Naqvi after beating Pakistan.

The BCCI had cited Naqvi’s political position in Pakistan when it explained the decision in 2025.

India Wins Eighth Asia Cup Title

India posted 185 for five after Shafali Verma scored 68 and Smriti Mandhana made 59. Sri Lanka then scored 113 in response.

Shree Charani took 4 wickets, and Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets for India.

India won the Women’s Asia Cup for the 8th time. Sri Lanka entered the final as the defending champions after winning the 2024 edition.

The Asian Cricket Council did not hand out the individual awards before ending the presentation. India later posted a team photo from the stadium on social media.