The Women’s Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium concluded with a diplomatic standoff on Sunday, as the victorious Indian team refused to participate in the trophy presentation ceremony. The event, which saw India defeat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to claim their eighth regional title, was marred by the absence of the Indian squad during the stage proceedings overseen by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.
The match concluded at approximately 9:50pm local time, yet the formal ceremony faced a delay of more than 45 minutes, with players from both sides remaining near their respective dressing rooms. When the event finally commenced at 10:40pm, Naqvi and other dignitaries oversaw the distribution of medallions to match officials and the Sri Lankan runners-up. Despite the formal structure, no individual accolades—such as Player of the Match or Tournament—were presented, and the Indian team was never summoned to the stage to receive their medals or the championship trophy.
Official tournament social media channels remained silent regarding any trophy celebrations. Meanwhile, the Indian team posted a group photograph on their own social media, showing players and staff gathered in an empty stadium after the ceremony had finished. Eyewitnesses and video footage confirmed that the Indian players and support staff had gathered in a circle away from the stage area, offering no public explanation for their decision.
Indian team head coach Amol Muzumdar confirmed that the boycott was a deliberate policy enacted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Addressing the media post-match, Muzumdar stated that the team stood firmly behind the board’s decision, adding, “The tournament is over. We are the champions, and that’s good enough for us.” Neither the ACC nor the BCCI provided immediate comments regarding the incident.
This event mirrored a similar occurrence from September 2025, when India defeated Pakistan in the Men’s Asia Cup final at the same venue but similarly refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who also chairs the Pakistan Cricket Board. At the time, BCCI official Devajit Saikia justified the move, citing Naqvi’s dual role as a high-ranking Pakistani government official as the primary reason for the protest.
The current sporting friction is deeply rooted in broader geopolitical conflicts between the two nations, which intensified significantly following an April 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives. India attributed the violence to the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba, an allegation Islamabad has consistently denied. The ensuing diplomatic fallout saw India suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and scale back formal relations.
Military hostilities erupted in May 2025, starting with India’s Operation Sindoor, which involved missile strikes on nine sites within Pakistan. Pakistan responded shortly thereafter with Operation Bunyan Marsoos, targeting six Indian military locations. A subsequent ceasefire was mediated by United States President Donald Trump.
Since these clashes, bilateral cricket relations have remained strained, characterized by a refusal of players to engage in customary handshakes during tosses or match conclusions. This pattern of cold interactions has been repeated across various tournaments, including the ICC Women’s World Cup in Sri Lanka, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England, and group-stage meetings during this year’s Asia Cup.
Political analysts have observed that such displays of tension during high-profile cricket matches have become increasingly inevitable given the current diplomatic climate. Both teams are scheduled to participate in the upcoming Asian Games in Japan. While the current format places the sides in separate early-stage groups, officials note that the possibility of another India-Pakistan final in the competition remains a distinct prospect. The report also notes that but the post-match ceremony was delayed by more than 45 minutes as players from both sides waited outside their respective dressing rooms, india beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the final on Sunday to reclaim the crown from the 2024 champions. The report also notes that but the ceremony did not get under way until 10:40pm (18:40 GMT), the match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium ended close to 9:50pm (17:50 GMT). The report also notes that once the temporary stage for the handing over of awards was set up, Naqvi was seen standing alongside other dignitaries as the ceremony began. The report also notes that sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu received the runners-up award from Naqvi and then proceeded to speak about her team’s performance. The report also notes that a tourism site in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, but they plummeted further after armed attackers killed 26 men in Pahalgam.
