Incidents related to the presentation of the Asian Cup trophies occurred at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Approximately a year ago, on September 28, 2025, following India's victory over Pakistan in the men's Asian Cup final, the Indian team declined to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who held positions as Chairman of the ACC, Chairman of the PCB, and Minister of Interior of Pakistan. Despite this, Naqvi accepted and presented the trophy and medals before leaving the field, leaving the Indian team to celebrate without the trophy, which remains in the ACC office in Dubai.
About a year later, on September 13, 2026, a similar situation repeated itself during the women's Asian Cup 2026 final. The Harmanpreet Kaur team defeated Sri Lanka by a score of 72 runs, securing their eighth title. However, during the award ceremony, the Indian athletes did not appear on stage, while Mohsin Naqvi stood in place, accepting the presentation from the Sri Lankan runners-up. Fans began chanting slogans like 'Trophy Thief.'
Devajit Sakya, Secretary of the BCCI, explained why India refused the trophies. He congratulated the women's team on their outstanding performance, noting the BCCI's satisfaction with the result, and stated that attention is now focused on the Asian Games. Regarding the trophy dispute, Sakya said that India's position had not changed for about a year and a half. He emphasized that under current circumstances, the BCCI cannot accept trophies from certain individuals.
Sakya also mentioned the existing tensions between India and Pakistan. He noted that a significant portion of the population wishes for India not to play against the 'hostile country,' yet the BCCI continues to participate in multinational tournaments against Pakistan, adhering to the central government's policy and ICC-ACC directives. He clarified that India cannot unilaterally decide which country to play against and which not, as it must compete against all teams in multinational competitions, but the issue of from whose hands to accept the trophy was considered separately.
According to Sakya, the BCCI proposed a way to avoid conflict: that the Deputy Chairman of the ACC present the trophy to the women's team. He felt this could easily resolve the situation and prevent any disagreements. Furthermore, the BCCI suggested that Sakya or Rajiv Shukla would not appear on the field themselves. Although the President and Secretary of the BCCI were present at the event, their goal was to ensure the trophy was presented via the Deputy Chairman. However, according to Sakya, this proposal was not accepted.
Devajit Sakya linked his decision to the incident involving the men's team trophy. He reminded that the Indian men's team won the Asian Cup about a year and a half ago, but the trophy has still not been delivered to India. Sakya stated that the BCCI constantly demands the return of this trophy from the relevant parties but has been unsuccessful so far. He argued that since India's stance on the men's team trophy has not changed over the past eighteen months, a sudden change in position regarding the women's team case would be inappropriate. Both trophies, he said, should be delivered to India as soon as possible.
Speaking about both trophies arriving in India soon, Sakya informed the publication TOI.
Sakya also touched upon the old tradition of presenting the Asian Cup trophy. Previously, when teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or India won, the trophy was usually presented by the head of the respective cricket board. He cited the former Chairman of the ACC and the current Chairman of the ICC, Jay Shah, mentioning that there used to be a practice where the trophy was presented by the chairman or secretary of the winning team's own board. Sakya noted that significant changes occurred in this system around 2024–2025. While he did not wish to turn this into a dispute, his requirement was respect for the former customs.
Regarding relations between India and Pakistan, Sakya stated that everyone is aware of the ground situation.
