BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has revealed that Mohsin Naqvi “did not raise any objection” after India decided not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president. Shukla said that Naqvi accepted the stance before presenting the trophy to “whoever he had to” and leaving the venue.
India Women defeated Sri Lanka Women by 72 runs in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, September 13. Notably, the Women in Blue refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi during the presentation. India celebrated their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title.
Rajeev Shukla Defends BCCI Decision Over Mohsin Naqvi Snub
Speaking to reporters after the Indian team arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Rajeev Shukla defended the board’s decision not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi. He said that the BCCI discussed the matter internally before informing the players about the decision.
“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it (trophy) from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not raise any objection to it,” Shukla said. “We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left.”
“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,” he added.
Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and a member of the Pakistan cabinet, was kept waiting during the trophy presentation. He later handed the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka before leaving the venue.
India Women Follow Men’s Asia Cup Stance Against Mohsin Naqvi
India’s men’s team took a similar stance during the 2025 Asia Cup. Saikia had earlier confirmed that ACC officials knew before the final that the Indian players would not accept the trophy from Naqvi if they won.
The men’s team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi after beating Pakistan in last year’s final amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.
Despite the controversy surrounding the presentation ceremony, Shukla praised India’s performance and expressed confidence in the team ahead of the Asian Games in Japan.
“We became Asia Cup champions. Our women have once again made us proud and we will continue to win in the future,” Shukla said. “The team is now heading to Japan and we are fully confident that we will secure a victory there as well.”
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana Lead India to Eighth Asia Cup Title
India produced a dominant performance against Sri Lanka in the final. Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first, with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana giving India a flying start.
The opening pair added 129 runs before Sri Lanka made a breakthrough. Verma scored 68 off 39 balls, while Mandhana contributed 59 off 39 as India posted 183/5 in 20 overs. Mithali Ayodhya, Chamari Athapaththu, and Chamudi Praboda took one wicket each for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka struggled to build a response against India’s spin attack. Shree Charani claimed 4/20, while Deepti Sharma returned figures of 3/19 as India bowled Sri Lanka out for 111. India registered their eighth Women’s Asia Cup title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
