Dubai: The controversy surrounding the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy presentation has intensified after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed that it had proposed an alternative arrangement to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) before the final. According to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, India suggested that an ACC official other than chairman Mohsin Naqvi present the trophy if the Indian women’s team won the tournament.

The proposal was not accepted, and the Indian team subsequently skipped the trophy and medal presentation ceremony after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final in Dubai on September 13. India secured its eighth Women’s Asia Cup title with a dominant performance, but the post-match celebrations were overshadowed by the trophy controversy.

Saikia told NDTV that the BCCI had informed the ACC about India’s position before the final. He said the team would not participate in the presentation if Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, was responsible for handing over the trophy.

BCCI suggested an alternative

The BCCI secretary said the Indian board did not simply refuse to participate in the presentation without offering another option.

According to Saikia, the board suggested that the ACC president, vice-chairman or deputy chairman Khalid could conduct the trophy presentation instead. He said India would have attended the ceremony if an alternative ACC official had presented the trophy.

“We had also requested that they could have done the presentation by the president or the vice chairman,” Saikia said.

He added that the BCCI’s position was communicated directly to the ACC chairman before the final.

Saikia said the team had no objection to the trophy presentation itself but objected to receiving the trophy from Naqvi because of the current political relationship between India and Pakistan.

ACC did not accept India’s proposal

The alternative arrangement suggested by the BCCI was not accepted by the ACC.

Saikia said that after the ACC declined to change its position, the Indian team had no other option but to stay away from the ceremony.

“If ACC deputy chairman Khalid sahab would have done the presentation, we would have attended,” Saikia said, explaining that this was the BCCI’s proposed solution.

The development meant that the Women’s Asia Cup ended with a scene similar to the controversy surrounding the men’s tournament in 2025.

The Indian women’s team celebrated its title victory on the field but did not receive the trophy during the official presentation ceremony.

India beat Sri Lanka to win eighth title

The controversy came after India produced a commanding performance in the Women’s Asia Cup final.

India scored 183/5 in 20 overs, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma making major contributions. Sri Lanka struggled during the chase and were eventually bowled out for 111, giving India a 72-run victory.

The win marked India’s eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, further establishing the team’s dominance in the continental tournament.

The result also continued India’s strong run in women’s cricket. The Indian women’s team had previously won the 50-over World Cup for the first time in 2025, and the BCCI is now looking towards the next major targets in the T20 format.

Why did India skip the ceremony?

The decision was linked to the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Mohsin Naqvi serves as the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council and also holds the position of Pakistan’s interior minister. The BCCI has objected to Indian teams receiving trophies from him following the deterioration in India-Pakistan relations after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.

Saikia said the Indian team had honoured the victims of the Pahalgam attack by staying away from the ceremony.

“Our position is very clear,” he said, adding that the BCCI did not want the Indian team to receive a trophy from Naqvi because of his government position and the strained relationship between the two countries.

The decision follows a similar episode involving the Indian men’s team at the 2025 Asia Cup, when the players also declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi.

BCCI says trophies will come to India

Despite the unusual conclusion to the presentation ceremony, Saikia said the BCCI remains confident that India will eventually receive both the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies.

He said the trophies would come to India soon.

“We can assure very soon we will not only get the Women’s Asia Cup trophy but also the Men’s Asia Cup trophy,” Saikia said.

The comments suggest that the absence of a formal presentation has not affected India’s claim to the championship trophies.

The issue is therefore largely centred on the presentation protocol rather than India’s status as tournament winners.

BCCI questions change in trophy presentation tradition

Saikia also questioned what he described as a departure from the traditional practice of presenting the trophy through an official of the winning team’s cricket board.

According to him, when the current ICC chairman was associated with the ACC, it was normal practice for an office-bearer of the winning team to hand over the trophy.

He alleged that this practice has not been followed since last year.

The comments add another dimension to the disagreement between the BCCI and ACC, with the Indian board arguing that the trophy presentation could have been conducted without creating a diplomatic or political issue.

Focus now shifts to Asian Games

With the Women’s Asia Cup campaign over, the BCCI’s attention is already moving towards the 2026 Asian Games.

Saikia said the board is targeting gold medals for both the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams.

The Asian Games will provide another major opportunity for Indian cricket, particularly as the BCCI continues to build its women’s T20 team ahead of future international competitions.

Saikia said the board is working to strengthen the women’s T20 side and acknowledged that the format presents challenges for the team.

The Women’s Asia Cup victory has nevertheless provided India with considerable momentum.

Trophy controversy overshadows historic victory

India’s eighth Women’s Asia Cup title remains the central sporting achievement from the tournament, but the trophy presentation controversy has generated considerable attention beyond the cricket field.

The BCCI’s latest revelation shows that the situation was not entirely unexpected. India had communicated its position before the final and had proposed an alternative arrangement involving another ACC official.

With that proposal rejected, the Indian team proceeded with the decision not to attend the presentation if Naqvi was involved.

The episode highlights the continuing impact of India-Pakistan tensions on sporting ceremonies and administrative relations, even when both countries participate in the same multinational tournament.

For the Indian women’s team, however, the immediate focus is on the achievement itself. Having defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs and secured their eighth continental title, the players now turn their attention towards the next challenge, with the Asian Games and the future of India’s T20 side firmly in focus.