India’s women cricket team refused to collect the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi after beating Sri Lanka in the final in Dubai on Sunday night, September 13.
With match proceedings wrapping up shortly before midnight, officials assembled on the dais for the post-match presentation. Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Interior Minister, stood ready to present the silverware. visual coverage showed Indian players only receiving internal honors, leaving the main championship trophy unpresented While Sri Lankan players walked out to collect their runners-up medals. The episode marks an almost exact replay of the Men’s Asia Cup final at the same venue a year prior. In that tournament, the Indian men’s team – led by Suryakumar Yadav – similarly refused to accept the winners’ trophy from Naqvi, citing his status as a high-ranking Pakistani government official. That men’s trophy subsequently remained stored at the ACC headquarters in Dubai rather than making the trip to Mumbai.
The incident played out moments after Harmanpreet Kaur-led India secured a commanding 72-run victory over Sri Lanka to claim a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title. Batting first, India posted 183/5, powered by a 129-run opening stand from Shafali Verma (68 off 39) and Smriti Mandhana (59). In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 111, with Shree Charani taking 4/20. With this dominant win, India also claimed a record-extending eighth title, avenging their 2024 final loss to the same opposition. The Indian squad, however, declined to receive it from him, repeating the stance the men’s team took after beating Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup final at the same venue.
