Indian fans at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium were heard chanting “Trophy chor Naqvi” after the Indian team once again were not presented with the Asia Cup trophy despite winning the title on Sunday.
India defeated Sri Lanka in the women’s Asia Cup final in Dubai, but the official trophy presentation did not take place after the Indian team refused to accept the silverware from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi.
As Naqvi left the stadium after the presentation ceremony, the Indian crowd was heard chanting “Trophy chor Naqvi”, with videos of the chants quickly going viral on social media.
The episode brought back memories of the controversy surrounding the men’s Asia Cup final last year, when India’s men’s team also left without receiving the trophy after a standoff involving Naqvi.
Naqvi was present at the Dubai stadium for Sunday’s final and eventually took the stage to present the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. However, the Indian players did not take part in the official trophy presentation due to the presence of Mohsin Naqvi – who is also Pakistan’s interior minister.
The broadcast ended after Athapaththu’s interaction with former Sri Lanka cricketer Farvez Maharoof, with Naqvi later seen leaving the field alongside other ACC officials.
WHY DID INDIA REFUSE THE TROPHY?
India coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed after the match that the decision not to accept the trophy from Naqvi was taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That’s good enough. It was on the big board that India champions of Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us,” Muzumdar said.
The Indian coach also admitted that he did not know when or how the team would eventually receive the Asia Cup trophy.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia later provided more details about the discussions around the presentation.
According to Saikia, the Indian team had made it clear from the outset that it would not accept the trophy from Naqvi. The BCCI then suggested alternative arrangements to ensure that the champions could still receive the silverware.
“The BCCI offered Naqvi that the Asia Cup trophy be handed over to the Indian team by ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni,” Saikia said. “Of course, he turned it down.”
The BCCI then suggested another option, based on the recent practice of allowing a representative from the board that wins a tournament to hand over the trophy.
“As per the recent norm, the representative from the Board which wins the tournament may be allowed to hand over the trophy,” Saikia said.
However, neither side agreed to the other’s position.
“Naqvi remained adamant and the Indian team too refused to budge and refused to accept the trophy,” Saikia said.
The standoff meant that India celebrated its title without receiving the trophy during the official presentation ceremony.
A SIMILAR CONTROVERSY IN 2025
The latest incident comes almost exactly a year after a similar dispute involving the Indian men’s team at the 2025 Asia Cup.
India had defeated Pakistan to win the tournament, but the team was left waiting for more than an hour before the trophy presentation could take place. The Indian side had reportedly requested that an Emirates Cricket Board official present the trophy instead of Naqvi, given the strained relations between India and Pakistan.
Naqvi rejected that request and maintained that the Indian captain would have to collect the trophy from him.
The standoff eventually resulted in an unusual end to the ceremony, with an ACC official seen removing the trophy while the Indian players waited to take the stage.
The Indian team eventually left without receiving the silverware, although the players celebrated their title for the cameras and posed as though they were lifting the trophy.
The women’s team’s decision on Sunday has now brought the trophy controversy involving Naqvi back into the spotlight, with Indian fans once again making their feelings heard inside the Dubai stadium.
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