The Indian women’s cricket team secured a dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka to claim their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title on Sunday. However, the post-match celebrations at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium were marked by a significant diplomatic snub, as the Indian players declined to collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president
As Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, departed the presentation dais, spectators in the stadium were heard chanting “Trophy chor, trophy chor.” The chants served as a reference to a similar controversy during the 2025 men’s
Reasons Behind the Presentation Snub
“Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country; we can’t receive the trophy from him,” Saikia stated. He added that while the Indian government maintains a policy of participating in multinational tournaments, the team felt compelled to take a stand against receiving accolades from specific leadership figures associated with the neighboring nation.
Protocol and Official Response
Despite the tension during the trophy ceremony, Saikia noted that professional interactions between officials continued throughout the match. Naqvi had been seated in the Royal Box alongside BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and Saikia. Saikia described these interactions as standard protocol, noting that officials frequently meet and converse during the course of a match regardless of broader political friction.
Addressing the failure to reach a compromise regarding the presentation, Saikia maintained that the team’s primary focus remained on their performance on the field. “We tried to solve today's situation, but our efforts were not successful. We don’t have any regrets. Our ultimate priority and ambition was not to focus on who would give the trophy. We wanted the Indian team to win and we’ve achieved that,” he concluded.
