India’s Women Win Asia Cup Without Formal Trophy Presentation

The official presentation ceremony was delayed by roughly 50 minutes, with Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi—who also heads the Pakistan Cricket Board and serves as Pakistan’s interior minister—present when medals were awarded to runners‑up Sri Lanka. The event was then abruptly halted, leaving India without a formal trophy.

During the delay, the Indian team held a separate medal‑presentation for the best fielder. Fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh oversaw the ceremony, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia presented the medal to Nandani Shami, with vice‑president Rajeev Shukla also in attendance.

The episode mirrors the men’s Asia Cup final last September, when India declined to accept the trophy from Naqvi, citing his role as a leading Pakistani official. Since cross‑border tensions in May 2025, Indian players have avoided handshakes with Pakistani representatives, a stance upheld by the women’s side. Coach Amol Muzumdar affirmed, “For us, this tournament is over, we are the champions. That’s good enough. It was on the big board that India are the champions of Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us. We’re happy that we’re the champions and we look forward to the Asian Games.”

Harmanpreet Kaur, the winning captain, was interviewed minutes after India secured a 72‑run victory. She praised the team’s standards and overall performance, noting that the squad posted a competitive total of 184 in the final. “We have certain standards, and we have to keep matching them every day,” she said. “The girls have done fabulously well throughout the entire tournament.”

She highlighted openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who added 129 runs for the first wicket with aggressive half‑centuries on Dubai’s slow pitches. “Our openers did an absolutely great job for us, the way they both batted, Smriti and Shafali,” Harmanpreet added.

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