India Women Clinch Record 8th Asia Cup Title, Snub Trophy From Mohsin Naqvi Again
Dubai, September 14, 2026 — The Indian women's cricket team lifted their eighth Women's Asia Cup title on Sunday night, thrashing Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. But the celebrations were overshadowed once again by a trophy controversy, as the Indian players refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi.
A Dominant Final
Put in to bat, India posted a commanding total of 183/5, powered by a record-breaking 129-run opening stand between Shafali Verma (68) and Smriti Mandhana (59). The bowlers then took over, with Shree Charani picking up four wickets and Deepti Sharma claiming three, restricting Sri Lanka well short of the target and sealing a comprehensive 72-run victory for the Women in Blue.
Speaking after the match, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur praised her side's consistency and self-belief, crediting the team's high standards for their record-extending title win.
Trophy Presentation Delayed, Then Boycotted
While the on-field performance left no room for doubt, the post-match ceremony turned chaotic. The match finished around 11:25 PM IST, yet the presentation ceremony had still not begun even by midnight — delayed by more than half an hour.
Naqvi, who holds the dual role of ACC president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, was present at the venue as chief guest and was expected to hand over the trophy to the champions. However, the Indian players made it clear they were unwilling to accept the silverware from him. The team stayed inside the dressing room rather than walking out for the ceremony.
In an unusual break from convention, captain Harmanpreet Kaur was interviewed by broadcasters immediately after the match — normally a moment that follows the trophy presentation. Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla stepped in to present a fielding medal to Nandani Sharma on the sidelines. The ceremony eventually concluded without any Indian player collecting the trophy from Naqvi.
Echoes of the 2025 Men's Final
This is not the first time India have taken this stance. The same scenario played out during the men's Asia Cup final in 2025, also held in Dubai, when the Indian men's team declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan. That trophy remains uncollected and is reportedly still sitting in the ACC office in Dubai — and the women's trophy now looks set to meet the same fate.
The Reason Behind the Snub
While no official statement has been issued by the BCCI, the boycott is widely believed to stem from India's strained ties with Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, in April 2025. Naqvi's position as Pakistan's federal Interior Minister — in addition to his cricket administration roles — has made his presence at trophy ceremonies a persistent flashpoint between the two boards.
Reports suggest the BCCI had written to the ACC requesting that a neutral official present the trophy instead, but no resolution was reached before the final.
What's Next
With both the men's and women's Asia Cup trophies now left uncollected in Dubai, the standoff between the BCCI and the ACC/PCB leadership shows no signs of easing. For now, Harmanpreet Kaur's side will have to settle for celebrating their historic eighth continental title without the trophy in hand — a triumph on the field overshadowed, once more, by cricket's geopolitics off it.