BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia Breaks Silence on Asia Cup Row, Says 'Trophies Will Be With Us'

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia Breaks Silence on Asia Cup Row: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has broken his silence on the ongoing Asia Cup trophy controversy after India’s women’s team refused to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi following their triumph in Dubai. Saikia has now said that both the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will soon be with the BCCI.

India’s women’s team defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final on Sunday in Dubai but did not accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. It followed a similar decision by India’s men’s team after winning the 2025 Asia Cup.

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Saikia said the BCCI had taken a conscious institutional decision in view of the circumstances and sentiments prevailing in the country. “Given the circumstances and the sentiments prevailing in the country, the BCCI felt that it would not be appropriate for the team to receive the trophy in the proposed manner,” Saikia told PTI.

“This was a firm institutional decision, reflective of the position we have maintained, and was not directed at the players, the tournament or the sport,” he added.

Saikia has now said that both Asia Cup trophies will be returned to India soon. He stated that the BCCI cannot enforce the resolution of the issue but expressed confidence that the trophies will eventually reach the BCCI headquarters.

“I cannot give you a timeline, but I’m telling you that the trophies will be with us very soon. Both the trophies, not only yesterday’s trophy. The other trophy, which has not been with us for more than one year, both the trophies will come to the cupboards of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai very soon,” Saikia told Times Now.

Saikia maintained that the absence of the physical trophies does not change India’s status as Asia Cup champions. “And the thing is very clear: we are the champions,” he said.

The BCCI secretary also said that if the issue is not resolved by the concerned parties, it is beyond the board’s ability to enforce. He reiterated that the trophies from both the 2025 men’s Asia Cup and the 2026 women’s Asia Cup are expected to reach the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

India have won the men’s Asia Cup in 2025 and the women’s Asia Cup in 2026. The men’s team had also declined to receive its trophy from Naqvi in 2025. The latest incident involving the women’s team has once again brought the presentation ceremony and the status of the trophies into focus.

Aditya Pimpale is a sports journalist currently working with News X, with previous experience at WION, India TV and India Today. With a keen interest in cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis and other major sporting disciplines, he brings a versatile perspective to sports journalism. Aditya has extensive on-ground reporting experience, having covered multiple IPL seasons, including the 2025 and 2026 finals from the stadium. He also covered the 2026 T20 World Cup from the ground, including the final in Ahmedabad. His work focuses on breaking news, match reports, analysis, interviews, features, sports trends and engaging digital storytelling.