India cricketers refuse Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

India's women's cricket team refused to collect the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday in Dubai, after beating Sri Lanka in the final. The snub came moments after Harmanpreet Kaur's side won a record-extending eighth continental title.

Why did India refuse the Asia Cup trophy?

India's team repeated the stance the men's side took a year earlier, declining to accept the trophy from Naqvi because of his dual role. Naqvi heads the Asian Cricket Council while also serving as Pakistan's interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has maintained this position across both men's and women's tournaments amid long-running tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

What happened at the trophy presentation?

India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the T20 final, but Harmanpreet Kaur's squad skipped the presentation ceremony entirely. The event was delayed by nearly 50 minutes before Naqvi handed medals to the runners-up and the ceremony ended abruptly.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla were present pitch-side as India's players presented medals to each other instead.

What did India's coach say about the decision?

India's women's head coach, Amol Muzumdar, confirmed the decision came from the BCCI rather than the players themselves. "That stand has been taken by BCCI, and we stand by it," he told reporters after the match. He added that the team considered the tournament won regardless of the trophy: "We are the champions, that's good enough."

Has this happened before?

A year earlier, India's men's team also declined to collect the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the final against Pakistan. That trophy remains uncollected, and Sunday's events suggest the standoff between the BCCI and Naqvi is set to continue across formats.