Why did India refuse Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi? Head coach Amol Muzumdar reveals reason
India had just beaten Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. On the big board it already said they were winners. In the presentation that followed, they never collected the cup.
India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday to win a record-extending eighth title. However, they declined to collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s side posted 183 for 5 and bowled Sri Lanka out for 111. Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was on the presentation dais and handed the runners-up cheque to Chamari Athapaththu. India did not come out for the winners’ medals or the cup. Head coach Amol Muzumdar later said that decision belonged to the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Amol Muzumdar reveals details
Asked about the presentation at the press conference, Amol Muzumdar did not treat it as a dressing-room improvisation.
“That stand has been taken by the BCCI, and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions,” he said.
“It was on the big board that India ‘Champions of Asia Cup 2026’. This tournament is officially over for us. Now, we look forward to the Asian Games,” he added.
The official result lists India as champions. The team marked the win with the tournament banner. The silverware stayed off the podium.
Same position as the 2025 men’s final
The women’s ceremony followed the men’s Asia Cup final in Dubai last year. After India beat Pakistan, the presentation was delayed by more than an hour. Former Bangladesh cricketer Aminul Islam distributed medals. Naqvi gave the runner-up cheque to Salman Agha. Presenter Simon Doull then announced that India would not collect their awards, and the event ended.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said then that the board would not take the trophy from the ACC chairman “who happens to be one of the main leaders of Pakistan.” That men’s trophy has still not been handed over. On Sunday, the women’s team applied the same rule.
What happened in the India Women vs Sri Lanka Women Asia Cup 2026 final?
India won the toss and batted. Shafali Verma made 68 off 39 balls and Smriti Mandhana 59 off 39. They registered a 129-run opening stand, the highest for any wicket in a Women’s T20 Asia Cup final. Shafali reached fifty in 24 balls, the fastest fifty in the tournament’s history. India closed on 183/5.
Sri Lanka’s chase never settled. N. Shree Charani took four wickets. Deepti Sharma took three, removing Vishmi Gunaratne and Athapaththu in the 10th over. The win also squared the 2024 final, when Sri Lanka beat India to lift their maiden title.
India now travel to Aichi-Nagoya in Japan for the Asian Games, starting from the quarterfinals. Amol Muzumdar has already shifted the focus there. The title is India’s. The cup, for now, is not.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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