Dubai: BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reflected on the Indian women’s team’s decision to decline the Asia Cup trophy and cheque from the Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi after their triumphant campaign, stating that the team showed complete solidarity with the precedent set by the men’s team last year.
The Indian women’s team opted not to take the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi after winning the continental showpiece for the record-extending eighth time, following their 72-run win against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. did not turn up to receive their trophy from Naqvi, who is also the Federal Minister for Interior in Pakistan. The move mirrored the decision of the men’s team which did the same after winning the men’s Asia Cup beating Pakistan in 2025.
“Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. Our overall situation changed after the Pahalgam incident in April 2025,” Saikia told IANS. “Following that event, citizens across the country called on us to sever all ties and refrain from playing cricket with the neighbouring nation.
“However, our central government has a clear policy that we should participate against every country in multi-nation tournaments. We respect and strictly abide by that policy, and the BCCI remains ready to play in all multi-nation events.”
Saikia made it clear that fulfilling international sporting commitments does not equate to accepting all conditions.
“Our relations with that country have deteriorated significantly since April 2025, and ongoing operations continue. We simply cannot accept a trophy from one of their main leader who acts against our country. Just as our men’s team chose not to take the trophy, our women’s team made the conscious decision to stand by that same move,” he added.
“It doesn’t diminish the performances of our team. Our team played superbly. In the men’s tournament, we defeated Pakistan three times. This time, we defeated Pakistan once and won against Sri Lanka. We have won every match convincingly, without any close contests, which is a source of great pride. Women’s cricket is rising in our country, and there is no greater proof than our recent achievements.
“Last November, we won the 50-over World Cup. Recently, we went to Lord’s and defeated England in a Test match, and today, we won the Asia Cup. In 15 to 20 days, we will head to the Asian Games to compete for the gold medal. We are also actively working on our strategy for the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.
Whether we win the trophy or not, the entire world – and everyone watching from India – knows how exceptionally well our women’s team played and how they outshone the competition. Our team has come a long way, and that is what matters most,” said Saikia.
“Everything went very well. We won, and everyone is extremely happy. Everyone is proud of their performance, and the biggest thing is that our country’s name is shining bright. There could be no greater cause for happiness than this. Everyone put in complete hard work; the entire team performed exceptionally, and our support staff worked tirelessly, which resulted in us winning this tournament so easily,” he told IANS hours after the game.
Saikia further lauded the women’s cricket team for their eighth Asia Cup title and said, “Everything went very well. We won, and everyone is extremely happy. Everyone is proud of their performance, and the biggest thing is that our country’s name is shining bright. There could be no greater cause for happiness than this.
“Everyone put in complete hard work; the entire team performed exceptionally, and our support staff worked tirelessly, which resulted in us winning this tournament so easily,” he said.
Asked if there was any felicitation planned for the winning side, Saikia said that the focus was firmly on bringing back the gold medal from the Asian Games being held in Japan.
“Currently, there are no such plans. Right now, our focus is on tomorrow, as our team will be leaving for Japan via Delhi. So, all our attention is set on the Asian Games starting in Japan, where our matches are scheduled for the 18th, 20th and 22nd. Our goal is to bring home the gold medal, and that is our sole objective.”
(IANS)
