Nandini Sharma Receives Fielding Medal As India Snub Mohsin Naqvi Again At Asia Cup Presentation

India celebrated another Asia Cup triumph in Dubai on Sunday, but the post-match presentation took a different turn. After beating Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, Indian players and support staff gathered on the field to celebrate.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and Vice President Rajeev Shukla also joined the team and congratulated the players. One special moment came when Nandini Sharma was presented with the fielding medal.

Nandini’s special comeback moment

The medal meant even more to Nandini, who had only recently returned to action after an injury suffered during the Women’s Premier League.

The youngster had missed important cricket during her recovery, making her return to the Indian team all the more special. Winning the Asia Cup on her comeback added to the occasion.

“It feels really good. I was in a tournament in India, and I got injured. I was in the WPL, the World Cup, so this is my first one. It feels really, really good, and then we won again, so it feels even better,” Nandini said.

Nandini explains how India handled Athapaththu

Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu was one of the biggest threats in the final, but India managed to keep her under control.

Athapaththu scored 36 before Deepti Sharma dismissed her, and Nandini credited the entire team and support staff for the plan against the experienced opener.

“I think the credit goes to my teammates and the staff. They kept everything very clear for us about what we had to do, so I just did that,” she said.

India skip trophy ceremony with Mohsin Naqvi

While the Indian players celebrated their title on the field, they did not take part in the official trophy presentation.

ALSO READ: Big News: India Snub Mohsin Naqvi Again, Skip Asia Cup Trophy Presentation For Second Time

Asian Cricket Council chief and Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was present on the stage for the ceremony. India chose not to attend the presentation, continuing its stance over receiving the trophy from Naqvi amid strained relations between India and Pakistan.

Naqvi presented the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu, while the Sri Lankan players collected their medals.

The presentation ended soon after Athapaththu spoke to Farvez Maharoof, with Naqvi then leaving the ground.

India had taken a similar stand in 2025

This was not the first time India had avoided a trophy presentation involving Naqvi. The same situation unfolded during the men’s Asia Cup final in September 2025. India beat Pakistan in the final but did not immediately receive the trophy.

The Indian team waited for more than an hour and requested that the trophy be presented by Emirates Cricket Board Vice Chairman instead of Naqvi.

Naqvi did not agree to the request and insisted that the Indian captain collect the trophy from him. The standoff eventually ended with India leaving without the trophy.

A year later, the Indian women’s team followed a similar path in Dubai, celebrating a record eighth Asia Cup title, while staying away from the trophy presentation involving Naqvi.