BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has addressed the ongoing issue surrounding the Asia Cup trophies after India refused to collect the silverware from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi. Saikia said that he did not want to comment on the matter and instead focused on India’s recent performances.
India Women beat Sri Lanka Women by 72 runs in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 13. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma scored half-centuries as Team India posted 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111 to win the title for a record eighth time.
Devajit Saikia Responds to Asia Cup Trophy Dispute
Speaking to PTI Videos, Devajit Saikia avoided directly commenting on the presentation issue. He highlighted India’s performances in major tournaments and said the BCCI was more concerned about results on the field.
“I do not want to make any comment on anything regarding this. I am only concerned about the performance of our team, and the whole country is rejoicing in the performance of our women's team, defeating all our opponents both within and beyond Asia in recent times.”
BCCI Awaits Return of Both Asia Cup Trophies
Devajit Saikia described the decision as an institutional one rather than an action against the tournament or the sport. Saikia also highlighted India Women’s recent achievements while explaining his decision not to comment further on the controversy.
“If you look at last year's performance in the ICC Women's World Cup, India defeated Australia in the semi-final with a superb performance, and then won handsomely against South Africa in the final. More recently, they defeated England at Lord's. In Dubai, they defeated Pakistan and thereafter, India won very convincingly against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Dubai.”
“They also triumphed in the finals of yesterday's Asian Games, defeating Sri Lanka by a wide margin. I am more concerned about, and the BCCI is more concerned about, the performance. I do not want to make any comment, except that I can assure you that people are extremely happy about our performance on the ground.”
BCCI Informed ACC About India’s Decision Before Women’s Asia Cup Final
The BCCI had informed the ACC before the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation under the proposed arrangement.
Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, presented the runners-up medals and cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu before the ceremony concluded.
India’s men’s team faced a similar situation after defeating Pakistan in the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup final in Dubai. Suryakumar Yadav’s side also declined to collect the trophy from Naqvi.
The BCCI has maintained that both the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup trophy and the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup trophy will eventually reach its headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, there is currently no publicly confirmed timeline or agreed handover process.
Naqvi’s current term as ACC president is scheduled to run until April 2027. The ACC presidency follows a rotational system, while any extension would require support from the organization’s members.
