The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) addressed the Indian women's cricket team's decision to skip the trophy presentation ceremony at the Women's Asia Cup 2026.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team won their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title by defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai on Sunday (September 13).

However, the post-match presentation ceremony faced a significant delay. The Indian players did not climb the stage to receive the winner's trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as both the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan's Interior Minister.

This move mirrors the stance taken by the Indian men’s cricket team during the 2025 Men's Asia Cup, where they similarly refused to collect the trophy from Naqvi due to heightened tensions between two nations following the Pahalgam terror attack and retaliatory Operation Sindoor.

When asked during a Tuesday (September 15) press briefing if the boycott was an administrative or government matter, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that jurisdiction rests with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“The matter falls under the BCCI's purview and comes within its jurisdiction,” Jaiswal said in response.

Earlier, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla confirmed that the Indian women's cricket team's refusal to accept the trophy from Naqvi was a "collective decision" of the board. He clarified that the ACC chairman did not protest or raise any objections to the decision at the venue.

“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it (trophy) from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not raise any objection to it,” Shukla told reporters after arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport with the team.

“We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left,” Shukla added.

(With ANI Inputs)