DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | India secured a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title on September 13 after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs, but the championship celebration was overshadowed when the Indian team did not attend the trophy presentation led by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
India posted 183 for 5 after openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored 68 and 59, respectively. Sri Lanka was then bowled out for 111, with spinner Shree Charani taking four wickets and Deepti Sharma claiming three as India completed an unbeaten campaign.
The post-match presentation was delayed by nearly an hour. Naqvi stood on the presentation stage with other ACC officials, but the Indian players did not come out to receive their medals or trophy. The Indian team instead conducted its own medal presentation, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia presenting an award to Nandani Sharma.
India coach Amol Muzumdar said the decision reflected the position of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the ACC had been informed before the final that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation if Naqvi presented the award.
The incident repeated a controversy from the previous year, when India’s men also declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the 2025 tournament. Naqvi holds several roles in Pakistan, including ACC chairman, PCB chairman and interior minister, making his involvement in the presentation particularly sensitive amid strained India-Pakistan relations.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated further following the April 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 people. India subsequently launched military strikes against targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in May, followed by Pakistani military action before the two sides agreed to a ceasefire. The tensions also affected cricket, with Indian and Pakistani players avoiding customary handshakes during several matches.
The latest controversy comes against a long history of Indian success in the Women’s Asia Cup. India won the inaugural tournament in 2004 and went on to capture the next three editions, followed by titles in 2012, 2016 and 2022. Bangladesh ended India’s run in 2018, while Sri Lanka won its first title in 2024 by defeating India in the final.
India’s 2026 victory marked its return to the top after Sri Lanka’s breakthrough title two years earlier. The result also gave India its 10th consecutive appearance in the tournament final, according to the International Cricket Council.
Despite the controversy surrounding the presentation, India remains the official 2026 Women’s Asia Cup champion after completing an unbeaten tournament and defeating Sri Lanka in the final.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
