The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that the decision of India’s women’s cricket team not to collect the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi is a matter for the BCCI.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the issue during Tuesday’s biweekly press briefing in New Delhi. When asked if the ministry had any role in the matter, Jaiswal made it clear that it comes under the jurisdiction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Why did Team India stay away from the presentation?
India won the Women’s Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka on Sunday but did not come onto the stage for the trophy presentation. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side’s decision came amid strained India-Pakistan relations and the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, India’s military action following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks.
Naqvi, who is both the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was present for the presentation ceremony.
While Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu came forward to collect the runners-up cheque from Naqvi, the Indian players were not seen on the stage.
Was the trophy ceremony shown on television?
There were no television visuals of the Indian team receiving the trophy or celebrating with it. After Sri Lanka’s presentation, the broadcast moved back to the studio instead of showing India lifting the Asia Cup trophy.
The decision has drawn attention because India had also avoided a trophy presentation involving Naqvi after winning the men’s Asia Cup last year.
What happened with the Indian team before the ceremony?
The Indian players did have their own celebrations before the official presentation began.
The team gathered in a huddle, where head coach Amol Muzumdar addressed the players following their title-winning performance.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla were also present. They congratulated the players, while Saikia and Shukla handed the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to pacer Nandani Sharma, who took two catches during the final.
How did India win the Women’s Asia Cup?
India went through the tournament unbeaten and finished their campaign with a convincing win over Sri Lanka in the final. The Indian team posted 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111, sealing a 72-run victory. The win gave India their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
Notably, this is the second time that Team India came back without the trophy after winning the final. Earlier, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side won the Asia Cup in 2025, when they also refused to collect the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.