NEW DELHI: India’s record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title was followed by a trophy presentation that quickly became the biggest talking point of the final — and a video from outside the Dubai International Cricket Stadium has now added another twist to the controversy.A video circulating on social media shows Asian Cricket Council president and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi leaving the stadium after India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday.As Naqvi’s car passed a Pakistan supporter filming his exit, the fan could be heard praising the PCB chief and backing his handling of the situation involving India.“Good job sir, we are happy with you. They [India] don’t deserve this trophy. We love you. You are a great man. You are doing well. Keep it up,” the fan was heard saying in the video.Naqvi, who appeared to smile and wave at the supporters as his car moved past, had earlier been at the centre of the trophy presentation controversy after the Indian players did not come forward to receive the trophy from him.Watch:
‘Trophy chor’ chants echo after India snub presentation
India had completed a dominant 72-run victory over Sri Lanka to win the Women’s Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time. But when the presentation began, Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates did not collect the trophy from Naqvi.Naqvi remained on the presentation stage and handed the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. The Indian players celebrated their title on the field but did not participate in the trophy handover involving the ACC president.As Naqvi subsequently left the stadium, “Trophy chor, trophy chor” chants were heard around the venue.The chants were a callback to the controversy surrounding the men’s Asia Cup final in 2025. India had defeated Pakistan in Dubai, but the trophy and medal presentation was delayed by more than an hour, with visuals showing the Asia Cup trophy being taken away from the presentation area.The episode triggered criticism and trolling aimed at Naqvi, with “Trophy chor” subsequently becoming a recurring phrase used by some Indian supporters.
Saikia explains India’s decision
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later explained why the Indian players had refused to take the trophy from Naqvi, linking the decision to the position taken by the men’s side after last year’s Asia Cup final.“Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. And our whole situation, since the April 2025 Pahalgam incident, changed after that. So, after that, there was pressure on us from our citizens that we shouldn’t keep any relations with our neighboring country and not play cricket with them. But our government has a policy that we must play against every country in multinational tournaments…”“But that doesn’t mean we will follow every condition laid out for us. Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country; we can’t receive the trophy from him. The Women’s team has expressed solidarity with the decision taken by the men’s team last year,” Saikia told IANS.Naqvi had been seated in the Royal Box alongside BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and Saikia during the match. Saikia insisted that the interaction between the officials was normal protocol.
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Saikia also revealed that efforts had been made to resolve the trophy presentation issue.“We tried to solve today’s situation, but our efforts were not successful. We don’t have any regrets. Our ultimate priority and ambition was not to focus on who would give the trophy. We wanted the Indian team to win and we’ve achieved that,” he added.
