BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has said Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not object after the Indian women’s team decided not to receive the Asia Cup trophy from him following their victory over Sri Lanka in the final.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday. However, the Indian team chose not to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister and PCB chairman.
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Shukla said the decision was taken collectively by the Board and the team was informed accordingly. According to him, Naqvi did not raise any objection when the decision was communicated.
“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it. It was our collective decision. He also did not raise any objection to it,” Shukla told reporters after the Indian team arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Shukla added that Naqvi subsequently presented the trophy to the person he was required to hand it to before leaving the venue.
The incident marked the second consecutive year in which an Indian team did not receive the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman. The Indian men’s team had also skipped the trophy presentation by Naqvi during the 2025 Asia Cup, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had earlier explained the Board’s position, saying that relations with Pakistan had changed after the April 2025 incident. He said India would continue to play Pakistan in multinational competitions because that remains the government’s policy, but insisted that this did not mean accepting every condition surrounding such events.
Saikia had also said the Indian team could not receive the trophy from Naqvi because of his position and the prevailing circumstances. The women’s team subsequently followed the decision taken by the men’s side last year.
The issue also drew attention after photographs emerged showing Saikia speaking with Naqvi during the Asia Cup final. Shukla defended the interaction, saying that it was a professional exchange during a cricket match and should not be viewed differently.
“What Saikia ji said is absolutely correct. When you are at a match, everyone is present there and interacts in a professional capacity. Therefore, I do not think there should be so much criticism over that,” Shukla said.
India’s decision comes against the backdrop of continuing political and sporting tensions between India and Pakistan. While bilateral cricket between the two countries remains suspended, they continue to face each other in multinational tournaments under the existing government policy.
The Asia Cup final victory gave India another title, but the trophy presentation became a major talking point after the team opted not to receive the silverware directly from Naqvi.
Shukla’s comments indicate that the BCCI viewed the decision as a collective one and that the ACC chairman did not challenge it during the presentation ceremony.
