The Women’s Asia Cup final concluded in a striking display of political tension in Dubai on Sunday. After clinching a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka to secure their eighth tournament title, the Indian squad was notably absent from the official trophy presentation ceremony. The team declined to accept the championship trophy from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who currently serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.
Proceedings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium were delayed by over 45 minutes following the match, which finished at approximately 9:50pm. The ceremony finally commenced at 10:40pm, but the Indian players remained away from the stage area, opting to gather near their dressing rooms instead. While match officials and the Sri Lankan runners-up received their medallions, the Indian team was never summoned to the podium, and no individual awards for Player of the Match or Player of the Tournament were distributed.
Indian head coach Amol Muzumdar addressed the decision during his post-match press conference, stating that the directive originated from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “That stand has been taken by the BCCI, and we stand by it,” Muzumdar remarked. He further noted that the team considered their on-field performance sufficient, adding, “The tournament is over. We are the champions, and that’s good enough.”
The event bore a strong resemblance to the Men’s Asia Cup final last September at the same venue, where the Indian team similarly refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi. At that time, BCCI official Devajit Saikia clarified that the boycott was a protest against Naqvi’s dual role as a prominent Pakistani political leader. Neither the ACC nor the Indian cricket board issued a formal response regarding this latest development.
Deep-seated hostilities have significantly impacted sporting relations between the two nations since violence erupted in Indian-administered Kashmir in April 2025. Following an attack at a tourism site in Pahalgam that killed 26 individuals, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and scaled back diplomatic ties. The situation escalated in May 2025 when India launched “Operation Sindoor,” striking nine sites in Pakistan, which prompted a retaliatory campaign by Pakistan known as “Operation Bunyan Marsoos.” While a ceasefire was eventually negotiated by United States President Donald Trump, the diplomatic fallout has consistently bled into the cricket arena.
Since these hostilities, regular professional engagements between Indian and Pakistani cricket teams have been characterized by persistent coldness. During the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, players avoided traditional pre-match handshakes and post-game walk-offs, a pattern that has since been mirrored in women’s matches, including the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, the T20 World Cup in England, and group-stage meetings during the current Women’s Asia Cup.
Looking ahead, both nations are scheduled to compete in the men’s and women’s cricket tournaments at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. While the teams were granted direct entry into the knockout stages, the potential for an India-Pakistan final remains a possibility in both competitions, leaving observers to wonder if the recent friction will continue to define their encounters on the field. The report also notes that but the post-match ceremony was delayed by more than 45 minutes as players from both sides waited outside their respective dressing rooms, india beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday to reclaim the crown from the 2024 champions. The report also notes that but the ceremony did not get under way until 10:40pm (18:40 GMT), the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium ended close to 9:50pm (17:50 GMT). The report also notes that once the temporary stage for the handing over of awards was set up, Naqvi was seen standing alongside other dignitaries as the ceremony began. The report also notes that sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu received the runners-up award from Naqvi and then proceeded to speak about her team’s performance. The report also notes that the Indian Women’s cricket team’s social media account posted a group photo of the team and coaching staff in what appeared to be an empty stadium shortly after the conclusion of the award ceremony.
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