India’s women’s cricket team refused to accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi after winning the final against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.
India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to become Asian champions.
However, the Indian players did not receive the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.
Naqvi also serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.
India coach Amol Muzumdar said the Board of Control for Cricket in India made the decision not to accept the trophy from Naqvi.
“We stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That’s good enough,” Muzumdar said.
“We are united. I am proud of every single person in this unit, including the sports staff and the players.”
The incident followed a similar situation at the men’s Asia Cup in Dubai last year.
India’s men’s team also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi after beating Pakistan in the final. The presentation ceremony was delayed for more than an hour before it ended without the trophy being handed over.
Relations between India and Pakistan remain tense. The two countries were involved in a brief military conflict last year.
India and Pakistan do not play bilateral cricket against each other. They currently meet only in ICC and ACC competitions at neutral venues.
The tension has also been visible on the cricket field. Indian players have refused to shake hands with Pakistani players before and after matches.
India’s women’s team followed the same approach when they faced Pakistan in the group stage of this year’s Asia Cup. India won that match by seven wickets.
India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the final gave them their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title in 10 editions. Sri Lanka entered the tournament as defending champions after winning the title in 2024.
India and Pakistan could meet again later this month. Both countries will take part in the men’s and women’s cricket events at the Asian Games in Japan.
