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Naqvi did not object to India’s refusal to collect Women’s Asia Cup trophy, claims BCCI official
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had no objection to the Indian women’s team refusing to collect the Asia Cup trophy from him, said Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Monday.
The remarks came as criticism mounted over Shukla and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia’s interaction with Naqvi during Sunday’s final in Dubai.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win the Women’s Asia Cup but declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shukla said the decision to not accept the trophy had been taken collectively by the BCCI and that Naqvi had not objected to it.
“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it (the trophy) from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not raise any objection to it,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Shukla as saying.
“We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left,” he added.
His clarification came after criticism of Shukla and Saikia for being seen exchanging pleasantries with Naqvi on the sidelines of the final despite the Indian team’s decision to shun him during the trophy presentation.
Shukla described Saikia’s interaction with Naqvi as routine and said it should not be interpreted as a departure from the BCCI’s position.
“What Saikia ji said is absolutely correct. When you are at a match, everyone is present there and interacts in a professional capacity. Therefore, I do not think there should be so much criticism over that,” he said.
Saikia had earlier said that the BCCI had communicated its position to the ACC before the final, making it clear that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation if Naqvi was involved.
The stance is part of a broader policy adopted by Indian cricket following the military conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025. Since then, India’s cricket teams have avoided customary handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts and have also declined to accept trophies from Pakistani officials in major bilateral encounters.
The policy was prominently displayed at the 2025 Asia Cup, when the Indian men’s team refused to shake hands with Pakistan players and, after winning the tournament, declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi. The Indian team’s refusal to participate in the presentation was subsequently repeated during other encounters with Pakistan.
The women’s team’s decision on Sunday effectively extended that stance to the women’s Asia Cup, with the BCCI having warned the ACC in advance that the team would not take the trophy from Naqvi.
Saikia had also defended the board’s position, saying the BCCI had taken a “conscious decision” after considering the circumstances and had conveyed its stance to the ACC beforehand.
The controversy has centred on Naqvi’s dual role as ACC chairman and a senior government official, with the BCCI maintaining that its decision was connected to the prevailing India-Pakistan situation.
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had no objection to the Indian women’s team refusing to collect the Asia Cup trophy from him, said Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla on Monday.
The remarks came as criticism mounted over Shukla and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia’s interaction with Naqvi during Sunday’s final in Dubai.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win the Women’s Asia Cup but declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the interior minister and chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shukla said the decision to not accept the trophy had been taken collectively by the BCCI and that Naqvi had not objected to it.
“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it (the trophy) from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not raise any objection to it,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Shukla as saying.
“We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left,” he added.
His clarification came after criticism of Shukla and Saikia for being seen exchanging pleasantries with Naqvi on the sidelines of the final despite the Indian team’s decision to shun him during the trophy presentation.
Shukla described Saikia’s interaction with Naqvi as routine and said it should not be interpreted as a departure from the BCCI’s position.
“What Saikia ji said is absolutely correct. When you are at a match, everyone is present there and interacts in a professional capacity. Therefore, I do not think there should be so much criticism over that,” he said.
Saikia had earlier said that the BCCI had communicated its position to the ACC before the final, making it clear that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation if Naqvi was involved.
The stance is part of a broader policy adopted by Indian cricket following the military conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025. Since then, India’s cricket teams have avoided customary handshakes with their Pakistani counterparts and have also declined to accept trophies from Pakistani officials in major bilateral encounters.
The policy was prominently displayed at the 2025 Asia Cup, when the Indian men’s team refused to shake hands with Pakistan players and, after winning the tournament, declined to receive the trophy from Naqvi. The Indian team’s refusal to participate in the presentation was subsequently repeated during other encounters with Pakistan.
The women’s team’s decision on Sunday effectively extended that stance to the women’s Asia Cup, with the BCCI having warned the ACC in advance that the team would not take the trophy from Naqvi.
Saikia had also defended the board’s position, saying the BCCI had taken a “conscious decision” after considering the circumstances and had conveyed its stance to the ACC beforehand.
The controversy has centred on Naqvi’s dual role as ACC chairman and a senior government official, with the BCCI maintaining that its decision was connected to the prevailing India-Pakistan situation.
