‘We are the champions’: India women’s head coach stands by team's refusal to receive Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

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‘We are the champions’: India women’s head coach stands by team's refusal to receive Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
  • India skipped the trophy presentation involving ACC president Mohsin Naqvi.
  • Coach Amol Muzumdar backed the BCCI’s decision, saying the tournament is over.
  • The move mirrors India men’s 2025 Asia Cup trophy snub involving Naqvi.

India win eighth Women’s Asia Cup amid trophy presentation controversy

India's women’s cricket team created yet another record in history with their victory in the Women’s Asia Cup, winning the trophy against Sri Lanka in Dubai, thanks to a 72-run victory.

But once again, what followed was no less than controversy, as the Indian ladies decided to skip the trophy ceremony, where the trophy was to be presented by Mohsin Naqvi, president of Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

This decision came straight out of last year's men's Asia Cup episode, in which the Indian men's team refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final.

In the final of the Men’s Asia Cup that was held in 2025, Naqvi took away the trophy from the stadium, which led to a prolonged standoff between the BCCI and the chairman of the PCB.

But in this case, the trophy of the Women’s Asia Cup was not seen with him or any member of his team. 

MORE:Did Harmanpreet Kaur and India receive winner's trophy from Mohsin Naqvi?

What did Amol Muzumdar say about India's Asia Cup trophy decision?

India women's cricket team coach Amol Muzumdar clearly indicated that the team wholeheartedly supports the BCCI stand and does not feel anything about skipping the presentation ceremony.

"That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over, we are the champions. That's good enough" Muzumdar was quoted by reporters as saying after the final match.

According to him, the result on the stadium's scoreboard was sufficient proof of India's victory in the tournament.

"It was on the big board that India are the champions of Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us. We're happy that we're the champions and we look forward to the Asian Games," he added.

Muzumdar also clarified that there has been no news yet on when India will get the trophy, and that the Indian team departed from Dubai without it.

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Why did India not accept the Women's Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi?

Naqvi, the ACC president and PCB chief, as also Interior Minister of Pakistan, attended the presentation ceremony in Dubai.

The Sri Lankan team took their runners-up medals while the captain Chamari Athapaththu took the runners-up cheque from Naqvi. On the other hand, the Indian team did not attend the winners' presentation ceremony, making the trophy presentation incomplete.

This was in the backdrop of the continued rivalry between India and Pakistan and in the wake of the precedent set by the Indian men's team at the 2025 Asia Cup.

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What next for India?

BCCI/Creimas

The trophy issue should not take precedence over India's accomplishment as the Women in Blue bagged a record-extending eighth Women's Asia Cup title, with Muzumdar clarifying that the team backed BCCI's stand.

But the continuous presentation of trophies to India and the failure to see the winning side receive the trophy make one wonder how the ACC will prevent the same thing from happening in the future.

India now needs to turn their focus towards the Asian Games, but the political and organisational issues lie in the hands of BCCI and ACC. As far as on-field performance is concerned, India is once again the champion of Asia.

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