By Siddhant Tripathi3 min read
Indian cricket has once again delivered a stinging rebuke to Asian Cricket Council boss and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Fresh from an emphatic 72-run demolition of Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 final in Dubai, Harmanpreet Kaur and her triumphant side refused to collect the championship trophy from Naqvi, turning what was supposed to be his moment in the spotlight into another acutely awkward spectacle.
A Resounding Title Triumph and an Uncompromising Stand
India entered the summit clash determined to reclaim continental dominance after finishing as runners-up in 2024. After piling up a daunting total of 183 for 5, the Indian bowling unit clamped down relentlessly on Sri Lanka. Despite brief resistance from opposition skipper Chamari Athapaththu, Sri Lanka folded for 111, sealing India’s record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup crown.
However, the real drama began long after the final wicket fell. When the podium was erected for the post-match ceremony at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Indian players were nowhere to be found. Harmanpreet Kaur’s team remained inside their dressing room, sending a blunt and deliberate message across the boundary ropes: they would not receive their silverware from the sitting Pakistani minister.
Chewing Gum, Empty Hands, and Déjà Vu in Dubai
Left stranded on stage in his official capacity as ACC president, Mohsin Naqvi appeared visibly unsettled. Seen chewing gum nervously throughout the presentation, Naqvi handed the runners-up cheque to Athapaththu and handed out official medallions, but had no role to play in honouring the actual champions. With the Indian contingent refusing to share the dais with him, the champions trophy was never brought out, and Naqvi departed the scene empty-handed.
The standoff was an almost identical repeat of the Men’s Asia Cup final played at the exact same venue. On that occasion, Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian team defeated Pakistan in the final and instituted the very same boycott, refusing to collect medals or the cup from Naqvi. That incident ended with Naqvi controversially leaving the ground with the trophy. This time around, aware of India’s pre-match warnings, the organizers refrained from parading the champions trophy on stage altogether.
The Principle Behind the Snub
The refusal was not an impulsive player reaction but a disciplined, unified execution of official policy. Beyond his role heading the PCB and the ACC, Mohsin Naqvi serves as the Interior Minister of Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India made its position crystal clear well in advance: Indian cricket teams will compete in multilateral tournaments, but they will not accept honours from an active political figure belonging to an administration in open diplomatic hostility with India.
The Indian team had made it known that they were fully prepared to receive the trophy from any neutral dignitary or tournament official. When that alternative was bypassed, the squad chose solidarity and national pride over a ceremonial photo opportunity. Instead, the players celebrated behind closed doors, where team management handed out their own internal awards and savoured a thoroughly deserved continental crown.
Mounting Pressure on Pakistan’s Cricket Boss
This latest humiliation in Dubai adds to an uncomfortable series of setbacks for the Pakistani administrator on the global stage. From facing public backlash during broadcast controversies with international media to repeatedly being sidelined by victorious Indian squads, Naqvi’s dual posture as a high-ranking politician and sports administrator continues to backfire.
For Harmanpreet Kaur and her squad, the message could not have been louder. They conquered the tournament with absolute authority on the pitch, and off it, demonstrated that no amount of podium protocol could force them to compromise on their principles.