Champions Without a Trophy: India’s Asia Cup Standoff Repeats Itself

Dubai: Harmanpreet Kaur’s India won the Asia Cup women’s championship fair and square. They beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Stadium. They returned home without the silverware.

Indian coach Amol Mazumdar’s big statement on India refusing to take the Trophy from Mohsin Naqvi: “The stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us this tournament is over we are the champions that’s good enough.”#AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/b4q77l0KyW

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) September 13, 2026

The scene that unfolded on Sunday evening carried an uncomfortable familiarity. Almost 12 months earlier, Suryakumar Yadav’s victorious Indian men’s team had come home from the Asia Cup without the trophy after a similar impasse. The script, it appears, has not changed.

Naqvi’s Late Arrival and the Standoff

Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman who currently heads the Asian Cricket Council, arrived at the stadium minutes before the last ball was bowled. He insisted on presenting the winners’ trophy himself.

That insistence met an immediate and familiar resistance. The Indian side took the position that ACC vice-president Khalid Al Zarooni could present the trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia conveyed the same to Aaj Tak. Naqvi did not relent.

What followed was a brief and delayed presentation ceremony that concluded without the winners receiving their prize. Naqvi stood on the podium and handed the runners-up cheque to the Sri Lankan team. Al Zarooni, Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee head Eran Wickramaratne, Emirates Cricket Board secretary general Mubashir Usmani and a female representative of DP World, the title sponsor, were among those on the podium.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla were present at the ground. Neither went up on the dais or shared a stage with Naqvi. They spoke to the Indian contingent on the ground instead.

“It was the same old story. Naqvi wanted to present the trophy, but the Indian team said no. So the compromise was to go ahead with the ceremony without the presentation of the winners’ trophy,” a source said. “So there was neither a trophy nor medals for the Indian players.”

‘We Are the Champions’

Amol Muzumdar, India’s head coach, was later asked about the episode. His response was measured but firm.

“That stand has been taken by the BCCI, and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That’s good enough. It was on the big board that India are champions of the Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us. We are happy that we have turned out to be champions. Now, we look forward to the Asian Games,” he said.

He repeated the sentiment when pressed again, emphasising the unity within the group.

“The stand has been taken by the BCCI, and we are united and standing by it. Absolutely. For us, this tournament is officially over. The fact that we are champions, we are really glad, and I am really proud of every single person in this unit, including the support staff and the players, needless to say. We are looking forward to the Asian Games now. This is officially over.”

A Year On, Nothing Has Changed

The men’s Asia Cup took place a few months after the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor last year. The atmosphere was extremely serious, sensitive and charged, and it resulted in the impasse over the trophy.

One year on, the situation has not changed. The BCCI’s stance remains uncompromising, and the Asia Cup trophy remains in Dubai. India’s women, like their male counterparts before them, will return as champions without the proof in their hands.

                                               

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