BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has addressed the ongoing Asia Cup trophy issue after India’s women’s team did not participate in the trophy presentation following their title-winning victory over Sri Lanka. Saikia said he did not want to comment further on the matter, choosing instead to focus on India’s impressive performances across recent international tournaments. India Women defeated Sri Lanka Women by 72 runs in the 2026 Women’s Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 13.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma scored half-centuries as India posted 183/5 before bowling Sri Lanka out for 111. The victory gave India a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title.
Speaking about the trophy presentation, Devajit Saikia said the BCCI had already communicated its position to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) before the final. India did not take part in the ceremony where ACC president Mohsin Naqvi was scheduled to present the trophy. “I do not want to make any comment on anything regarding this. I am only concerned about the performance of our team, and the whole country is rejoicing in the performance of our women’s team,” Saikia said.
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The BCCI secretary instead highlighted India Women’s recent achievements, pointing to their performances against several strong opponents. He noted the team’s victory over Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final last year, their triumph against South Africa in the final and their recent success against England at Lord’s.
Saikia also referred to India’s Asia Cup campaign, including their convincing victory over Pakistan before the final against Sri Lanka. He said the BCCI’s primary focus remained on the team’s results on the field rather than the controversy surrounding the presentation ceremony.
The latest development follows a similar situation involving India’s men’s team after their 2025 Men’s Asia Cup triumph. Suryakumar Yadav and his teammates also did not collect the trophy from Naqvi after defeating Pakistan in the final.
According to Devajit Saikia, the BCCI had taken a conscious decision and informed the ACC in advance that the Indian women’s team would not participate in the trophy presentation under the prevailing circumstances. Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, remained at the presentation ceremony and presented the runners-up medals and cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu before the ceremony concluded.
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Despite the unusual presentation, the BCCI has maintained that both the 2025 men’s and 2026 women’s Asia Cup trophies will eventually reach its headquarters in Mumbai. Saikia has confirmed that the trophies will come to India, although no specific timeline has been announced. Reports indicate that both trophies are currently in Dubai.
Naqvi’s current term as ACC president is scheduled to continue until April 2027. The ACC presidency operates on a rotational basis among its members, with any continuation beyond the existing term dependent on the organisation’s members.
