real drama erupted after the game when the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from the hands of Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief While the title-decider was pretty straightforward. Though the saga was efficiently handled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the board’s secretary Davijit Saikia had to answer a tricky question after being spotted sitting with Naqvi in the VIP section, exchanging ‘friendly’ chatter. The Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final saw India beat Sri Lanka to clinch the title for the record-extending 8th time in their history.
During the final, Saikia, Naqvi and a few other officials were spotted sitting together. Naturally, a conversation would’ve taken place between these officials. “I was sitting outside in the Royal Box seats right from the toss until the end of the game. Having sat there, I remained in that same place throughout the match. Everyone who came met me during the match; someone sat next to me, then Shukla came and sat with me. The person you mentioned (Naqvi) also came and sat alongside Deputy Chairman Khalid (Khalid Al Zarooni) sahib.”
When asked about the ‘friendly’ chatter, Saikia said that as a BCCI official, he is bound to meet and interact with other boards’ representatives. “It’s not as if we wouldn’t meet anyone,” Saikia told IANS when asked about the seemingly friendly interaction, without naming Naqvi.
Saikia further revealed that the BCCI tried to end the Asia Cup trophy impasse by offering Mohsin Naqvi’s ACC a solution. We tried to solve today’s situation, but our efforts were not successful. However, it was turned down. In the end, the Indian team had to celebrate the title empty-handed. “That’s just a normal tradition, whenever anyone comes, we meet and talk with everyone. We don’t have any regrets. Our ultimate priority and ambition was not to focus on who would give the trophy. We wanted the Indian team to win, and we’ve achieved that,” he added.
