BCCI breaks silence on Mohsin Naqvi's reaction to India's refusal to take Women's Asia Cup 2026 trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president, Rajeev Shukla, has broken his silence on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, not objecting to India’s refusal to give him the Women’s Asia Cup trophy after their massive win over Sri Lanka in Dubai.  

Naqvi, being the chair of the PCB and ACC, arrived for the function. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated the Chamari Athapaththu-led side by 72 runs without attending the presentation ceremony, as Naqvi gave the Sri Lankan captain the runners-up cheque. 

Saikia calls it a "conscious, institutional decision," says it was never about the players

Shukla said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who was also present at the event, told Naqvi he would not give the squad the trophy, and the Pakistan politician was cool with it.

“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not object. We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left.” Shukla expressed.

It was the same outcome during the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final between India and Pakistan at the Dubai Stadium when the blue brigade won the encounter, thanks to the superb unbeaten knock of Tilak Verma.

See Also: Watch: 'We didn't approve the manner' — Devajit Saikia reveals why India women refused trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

“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 addressed.

“We became Asia Cup champions. Our women have once again made us proud, and we will continue to win in the future. The team is now heading to Japan, and we are fully confident that we will secure a victory there as well.” He added.

Naqvi left the trophy behind — but still skipped handing it to India

Naqvi’s two-year contract is going to end in April 2027, and he is very unlikely to be elected for the next period. He is not anticipated to get the required support from the members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Generally, the individuals, as the ACC presidents, get rotated among the full member boards, which are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, on a two-year term, which is decided at the Annual General Meeting. Each extension of this term includes a year rather than resetting their term.

See Also: Watch: Indian team celebrates with water bottle on podium after winning Women's Asia Cup 2026

“We had taken a conscious decision considering all prevailing aspects, and our position had been communicated to the ACC in advance, that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation under the circumstances.” The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, said.

The Indian side, meanwhile, celebrated with a water bottle after they refused to accept the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.