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Wide shot of graffiti-adorned Narendra Modi Stadium, highlighting its expansive seating and cricket field.
India refuse to collect Women’s Asia Cup trophy from ACC chief
DUBAI — September 14, 2026
India refused to collect the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai, causing the closing ceremony to be delayed by more than 30 minutes. The Indian team also did not collect its winners’ medals during the ceremony.
Naqvi, who is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister, remained on the stage while officials waited for the trophy presentation to begin. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu accepted the runners-up cheque from Naqvi.
The match ended at about 9:55 p.m. local time on Sunday, but the presentation had still not started by 10:30 p.m. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur was interviewed by broadcasters immediately after the match, before the usual presentation ceremony.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar said the decision followed a position taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He said the team supported the decision and considered its participation in the tournament complete after winning the title.
“For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions; that’s good enough,” Muzumdar said at a post-match news conference. Asked whether the trophy would meet the same fate as the men’s Asia Cup trophy from last year, he said he had no information and could not comment.
The incident follows a similar episode at the men’s Asia Cup final in October 2025, when India also declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan. That ceremony was delayed as tensions between the two countries affected the tournament’s closing formalities.
Relations between India and Pakistan have remained tense since their military conflict in May 2025. Political tensions also affected the previous men’s Asia Cup, where the teams did not take part in the customary post-match handshake following their encounters.
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry criticised India’s decision after Sunday’s final, saying political and military disagreements should not undermine sportsmanship. He accused India of damaging the sporting culture that had traditionally provided an opportunity for contact between the two countries.
On the field, India produced a dominant performance to win the title for the eighth time. Shafali Verma scored 68 and Smriti Mandhana made 59 as India posted 185-5 from their 20 overs.
India’s bowling then restricted Sri Lanka, with Shree Charani taking four wickets and Deepti Sharma claiming three. Chamari Athapaththu top-scored for Sri Lanka with 36 from 32 balls, but her team could not build a sustained chase.
Harmanpreet said India had maintained the standards it had set for itself throughout the tournament. She praised the opening pair and highlighted Verma’s contribution with both bat and ball.
Athapaththu acknowledged that Sri Lanka had not produced its best performance in the final but said the team would look to recover at the upcoming Asian Games. Sri Lanka had otherwise played strongly during the tournament, she said, but struggled in all three areas of the game in the final.
