Indian women’s team refuses trophy from Mohsin Naqvi after Asia Cup win
Trophy ceremony becomes centre of attention
While India’s victory was the main sporting achievement, the post-match presentation ceremony quickly became a major talking point.
Mohsin Naqvi, president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), was the chief guest at the final. However, the Indian players did not accept the championship trophy from Naqvi during the ceremony.
The decision attracted attention because the trophy presentation is normally one of the key moments after a major cricket final. The incident added a separate controversy to an otherwise dominant performance by the Indian team.
Similar incident involving men’s team
The development also brought back memories of a similar incident involving India’s men’s cricket team last year. On that occasion, the Indian players also did not receive the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.
The latest incident has therefore drawn comparisons with the earlier controversy. However, the main focus of the final remained India’s performance on the field and the successful continuation of its strong record in the regional tournament.
India dominate Sri Lanka in final
India controlled the match after posting a challenging total of 183 runs.
The target of 184 proved difficult for Sri Lanka, which struggled to build partnerships during its innings.
Chamari Athapaththu was Sri Lanka’s top scorer, making 36 runs.
Nilakshi de Silva also tried to keep the chase alive with 22 runs.
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However, the remaining Sri Lankan batters failed to produce a sustained response against India’s bowling attack.
Regular wickets prevented Sri Lanka from building the momentum needed to challenge India’s total.
The defending champions were eventually dismissed for 111 runs.
India secure another continental title
The victory marked another major achievement for India in women’s cricket.
By winning the final by 72 runs, India once again demonstrated its strength in the regional competition. The eighth Women’s Asia Cup title also underlined India’s long-standing dominance in the tournament.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, could not repeat its success as defending champions and fell well short of the target. India’s batting performance gave the team a solid foundation before its bowlers completed the job.
Trophy decision draws attention
The decision not to receive the trophy from Naqvi became one of the most discussed moments of the final.
The presentation ceremony normally provides the winning team with an opportunity to celebrate its achievement and formally receive the championship trophy. In this case, however, the Indian players’ decision changed the focus of the ceremony.
The development is likely to attract further attention because of the similar incident involving the Indian men’s team. The trophy presentation therefore became almost as widely discussed as the result itself.
India’s performance remains the key story
Despite the controversy surrounding the presentation, India’s performance in the final was clear.
The team first posted 183 runs and then restricted Sri Lanka to just 111.
The 72-run margin reflected India’s control over the match.
Sri Lanka’s batting struggled against sustained pressure, while India maintained control throughout the chase. The result allowed India to add another Women’s Asia Cup trophy to its collection and extend its record in the tournament.
