Madan Lal questions India's decision to skip women's Asia Cup trophy presentation

Former India pacer Madan Lal has questioned the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the repeated refusal to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi.

India Women defeated Sri Lanka Women in the final of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 on Sunday, but the Indian team once again did not collect the winners’ trophy during the official presentation ceremony.

Lal, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, expressed his disappointment over the recurring controversy surrounding trophy presentations involving Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The former pacer, who represented India in 39 Tests and 67 ODIs, took to social media platform 'X' to question the decision-making behind the episode. He suggested that if India was unwilling to accept trophies from ACC officials, it should reconsider participating in tournaments where such presentations are part of the protocol.

“Once again, the same old story. If we are going to behave like this, then we should not play Pakistan in any trophies. I know it is the Board’s decision,” Lal wrote.

The Indian women’s team did not come out to collect the trophy after defeating Sri Lanka in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The development followed a delay in the post-match presentation, with the Indian team reportedly unwilling to receive the trophy from Naqvi. The trophy presentation protocol had been finalised and the silverware was available for the victorious side.

However, the Indian players and coaching staff returned to the dressing room without collecting the trophy, while Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu accepted the runners-up prize money cheque from the ACC president.

According to ACC sources, the trophy remained available for the Indian team, while the title won by India Men at the 2025 Asia Cup was also reportedly still awaiting collection.

The sources further said Naqvi had not moved “an inch” from his previous position and continued to maintain the same stance regarding the presentation.

Following their title-winning victory, the Indian players gathered separately in a huddle, where head coach Amol Muzumdar addressed the team and congratulated them on their achievement.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla later joined the celebrations and presented medals to the players, including Nandani Sharma.

Saikia also held an extended discussion with the players as he congratulated them on their impressive campaign and title triumph.

The latest incident bears similarities to the men’s Asia Cup final in 2025, when India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Dubai, with the Indian team also declining to receive the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony.