MEA says BCCI responsible after India women refuse Asia Cup trophy from PCB chief

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Tuesday that the Indian women’s cricket team’s decision to decline the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi is a matter under the jurisdiction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, were absent from the stage during the post-match presentation ceremony following their victory in the final on Sunday. The team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi amid ongoing tensions related to cross-border terrorism and India’s military operation against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, known as Operation Sindoor.

Make The News Mill your preferred source

See more TNM stories when you search for news on Google.

This action by the women’s team reflected a similar stance taken by India’s men’s cricket team after their Men’s Asia Cup win in September last year.

Asked at a biweekly press briefing in New Delhi whether the issue was within the MEA’s administrative scope, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The matter falls under the BCCI’s purview and comes within its jurisdiction.”

During the ceremony, Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu accepted the runners-up prize from Naqvi. However, Indian players were not present on the stage, and there were no visuals of the team holding or celebrating with the trophy, as coverage returned to the studio after Sri Lanka’s presentation.

Before the ceremony, Team India held a huddle with head coach Amol Muzumdar, while BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla awarded the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to pacer Nandani Sharma, who made two catches in the final. Saikia congratulated the team on their victory.

India concluded the tournament unbeaten, delivering a strong all-round display in the final by scoring 183 for 5 and subsequently restricting Sri Lanka to 111, securing their eighth Asia Cup title.