Discussed About The Asia Cup Trophy, Decided Not To Take It From Naqvi, Says Shukla

Shukla on Women's Asia Cup Trophy Snub: "We Decided Not To Take It From Naqvi"

Dubai: India's women sealed a record 8th Women's Asia Cup title, downing Sri Lanka by 72 runs at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, but the win was overshadowed by an awkward trophy moment.

BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla confirmed that the squad, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, chose not to collect the trophy from ACC President Mohsin Naqvi—who is also Pakistan's interior minister & PCB chief. The stance mirrors the men's team's boycott after their 2025 Asia Cup win over Pakistan, where a 50-min delay saw Naqvi hand up medals to Sri Lanka before the ceremony wrapped up abruptly.

Speaking to reporters post-return, Shukla downplayed any drama: "We discussed the trophy issue and decided not to take it from him. He didn't object. They gave whatever they had and left. There was no quarrel, no fight, no clash." He backed BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia's view that officials mingle at matches without needing to level heavy criticism.

The incident arrives amid ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. Interestingly, both Saikia and Shukla were spotted chatting cordially with Naqvi in the Royal Box during the match—footage that went viral.

Looking ahead, Shukla kept the focus on performance: "We'd won the Asian Games, now the Asia Cup. Our women have honoured us again. They head to Japan tmr and we'll win there too—lots of hope and enthusiasm in the squad."

Source: IANS

Source: Cricketnmore