India’s women’s team posted 183 for five and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 111 to secure a 72-run victory in the final at Dubai International Stadium on September 13. The comprehensive win marked their record eighth title in the tournament. However the team declined to participate in the official presentation where Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi was to hand over the trophy, according to multiple reports from Indian media including The Indian Express and Hindustan Times. The BCCI had notified the ACC in advance that the side would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if victorious.
The presentation ceremony was delayed by nearly an hour following the match. Naqvi presented the runners-up cheque and medals to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu before departing the venue without the main trophy. India conducted a separate medal ceremony near the dressing room involving BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla. Head coach Amol Muzumdar later addressed the situation in his post-match press conference.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained the decision as an expression of solidarity with the men’s team which had taken a similar position after winning the 2025 Asia Cup. “Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. And our whole situation, since the April 2025 Pahalgam incident, changed after that,” Saikia told IANS. He added that while government policy requires participation against every country in multilateral events this does not extend to receiving the trophy from Naqvi whom he described as one of the main leaders working against India’s interests.
Muzumdar stated that the board had established its position which the team supported without reservation. “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. The coach noted that the stadium scoreboard had declared India as champions and that the team’s unbeaten run through the competition provided sufficient validation of their performance ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup.
The BCCI proposed that an ACC deputy chairman present the trophy but those alternatives were not accepted according to Saikia. This incident replicates the men’s final in Dubai last year where India also refused the trophy from Naqvi leading to the silverware remaining with the ACC. Coverage from Al Jazeera and other outlets indicated the women’s team had remained in a huddle outside their dressing room during the curtailed ceremony.
Saikia emphasised that the refusal does not diminish the on-field achievements and that the BCCI remains focused on upcoming events such as the Asian Games. The development has generated widespread discussion on social media with references to the prior men’s team episode. Tournament records confirm this victory extends India’s dominance in women’s Asia Cup history.
