Another Asia Cup, another trophy drama. After the men’s cricket team last year, this time the Indian women’s team refused to receive the trophy from Asian cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reflected on the Indian women’s team’s decision to decline the Asia Cup trophy and cheque from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi after their triumphant campaign, stating that the team showed complete solidarity with the precedent set by the men’s team last year.
The Indian women’s team opted not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the continental showpiece for a record-extending eighth time, following their 72-run victory over Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. did not turn up to receive their trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior. The move mirrored the decision of the men’s team, which did the same after winning the men’s Asia Cup by defeating Pakistan in 2025.
“Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. Our overall situation changed after the Pahalgam incident in April 2025,” Saikia told IANS. “Following that event, citizens across the country called on us to sever all ties and refrain from playing cricket with the neighbouring nation.
“However, our central government has a clear policy that we should participate against every country in multi-nation tournaments. We respect and strictly abide by that policy, and the BCCI remains ready to play in all multi-nation events.”
During the final, Saikia could be seen meeting Naqvi. “It’s not as if we wouldn’t meet anyone. I was sitting outside in the Royal Box right from the toss until the end of the game. Having sat there, I remained in the same place throughout the match. Everyone who came met me during the match; someone sat next to me, then Shukla came and sat with me. The person you mentioned also came and sat alongside Deputy Chairman Khalid Sahib. That’s just a normal tradition. Whenever anyone comes, we meet and talk with everyone,” he said about the meeting.
Watch: On meeting ACC Chair Mohsin Naqvi, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia says, “It’s not as if we wouldn’t meet anyone. I was sitting outside in the Royal Box seats right from the toss until the end of the game. Having sat there, I remained in that same place throughout the match.… pic.twitter.com/z0ytWckCEh
— IANS (@ians_india) September 13, 2026
Saikia made it clear that fulfilling international sporting commitments does not equate to accepting all conditions.
“Our relations with that country have deteriorated significantly since April 2025, and ongoing operations continue. We simply cannot accept a trophy from one of their main leaders who acts against our country. Just as our men’s team chose not to take the trophy, our women’s team made the conscious decision to stand by that same move,” he added.
“It doesn’t diminish the performances of our team. Our team played superbly. In the men’s tournament, we defeated Pakistan three times. This time, we defeated Pakistan once and won against Sri Lanka. We have won every match convincingly, without any close contests, which is a source of great pride. Women’s cricket is rising in our country, and there is no greater proof than our recent achievements.
“Last November, we won the 50-over World Cup. Recently, we went to Lord’s and defeated England in a Test match, and today, we won the Asia Cup. In 15 to 20 days, we will head to the Asian Games to compete for the gold medal. We are also actively working on our strategy for the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.”
With IANS inputsÂ
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