Dubai, September 14, 2026: India’s women’s cricket team were stopped by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from accepting the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi after winning the title in Dubai.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed the decision during the post-match press conference, saying the players had followed instructions from the BCCI.
“The BCCI decided that the women’s team would also not take the trophy. We are the champions of Asia and we followed the board’s decision,” Muzumdar said.
Asked when the team would receive the trophy, he replied: “We don’t know anything about the trophy. There is no news about when we will get it.”
The decision broke with the tournament’s usual protocol under which the ACC president presents the trophy to the champions.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla was present at Dubai Cricket Stadium and reportedly tried to persuade the Indian players to accept the trophy from Naqvi in the spirit of sportsmanship. However, people familiar with the episode said the team had been strictly instructed not to receive the trophy or approach the presentation stage.
The incident mirrors India’s men’s team’s refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after the 2025 final in Dubai.
In December 2025, India’s Under-19 team also declined to receive its runners-up medals from Naqvi after Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the Under-19 Asia Cup final at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai. The medals were later presented by an Afghanistan Cricket Board official.
The repeated trophy and medal snubs have added a political dimension to cricketing relations between India and Pakistan, raising concerns that sporting ceremonies are increasingly being affected by tensions between the two countries.
