Not Cups for Tea

Did the Indian women’s team seek revenge for the men’s side, or did they refuse the trophy due to their board’s ignored warning?

As the podium was waiting, and familiar faces were in place for the handshakes. But when the moment came for the champions to lift the Asia Cup, there was no trophy — only a statement.

Eighth-time champions India women hammered the defending side, Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win the Women’s Asia Cup on Sunday, yet refused to collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pointing to a simple trigger: the men’s trophy has still not been handed over.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, however, said on Monday the refusal was a ‘conscious, institutional’ call, made to keep the board’s stance intact after a previous unresolved standoff.

In 2025, Suryakumar Yadav’s India men had also declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi at the same venue, Dubai International Stadium and the physical trophy has not been delivered to India since.

With that silverware still missing, Harmanpreet Kaur’s women were not going to break ranks.

The BCCI secretary made it clear the board did not want one India team accepting what the other has been denied.

“We did not want to be part of the presentation in line with our previous stand,” Saikia was quoted as saying. “We are yet to receive our men’s Asia Cup.”

Naqvi, the ACC chief, also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s Interior Minister, making his presence on the podium a non-starter for the BCCI.

A report in The Indian Express claimed the BCCI had informed ACC officials in advance that India would not accept the trophy if Naqvi attended the ceremony.

“We did request that the deputy chairperson of ACC hand over the trophy but it was not accepted,” Saikia said. “So, we decided that we have no other option but not to be a part of the presentation ceremony.”

The presentation itself turned awkward and abrupt.

The ACC chief handed Sri Lanka the runners-up cheque, while Sri Lanka Cricket interim chief Eran Wickramaratne distributed medals to the players and staff.

Then, just as the stadium waited for India to be called up, Maharoof suddenly declared the ceremony over.

Women in blue never walked onto the stage.

India coach Amol Muzumdar later confirmed it was “BCCI’s stand” not to receive the trophy from Naqvi.

Saikia insisted the BCCI expects to secure both trophies through official channels later, even if the podium moment has been stripped away, not just once, twice!

Both sides have valid reasons: Naqvi's role as ACC chief for not handing over the trophy, and India's stance on board and national morals.