India Women skip trophy presentation from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi

[[{“value”:”

India produced a dominant all-round display to clinch their eighth Women’s Asia Cup crown, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in a one-sided final in Dubai. The Women in Blue posted 183/5 behind dynamic half-centuries from openers Shafali Verma (68 off 39) and Smriti Mandhana (59 off 39), who shared a record-breaking 129-run opening stand. Spinner Sree Charani then led the bowling attack with 4/20 to bundle out Sri Lanka for 111.

However, significant off-field drama eclipsed the post-match proceedings. Team India chose not to accept the championship trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

After Sri Lanka’s runner-up honours, where skipper Chamari Athapaththu accepted the secondary award from Naqvi, the live broadcast abruptly returned to the studio, with no Indian players taking the stage.

Off-field drama similar to men’s team

While the formal presentation unfolded without them, the squad held their own post-match huddle on the field. Head coach Amol Muzumdar addressed the players, while BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla presented the internal ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to pacer Nandani Sharma.

This standoff mirrors the situation from last year’s men’s tournament in the UAE, where Suryakumar Yadav’s side similarly refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi due to cross-border terrorism tensions following ‘Operation Sindoor’. During that instance, the men’s team celebrated on stage with an imaginary trophy, while the official silverware was eventually removed from the venue by an official.

To this day, Team India has not received their trophy from the ACC chair, and the stalemate has seeped into the women’s edition of the tournament as well, leading to the question if the women’s trophy will also face the same fate.

India produced a dominant all-round display to clinch the continental title, posting 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111 in 20 overs, with a four-fer from Sree Charani (4/20). India’s batting effort was led by openers Shafali Verma (68 in 39 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and Smriti Mandhana (59 in 39 balls, with five fours and three sixes), who put together a record 129-run partnership for the first wicket. 

“}]]