Women’s Asia Cup 2026: India Women produced a dominant performance to defeat Sri Lanka Women by 72 runs in the final and claim a record-extending eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. However, the celebrations were overshadowed by the trophy presentation controversy after the Indian team did not collect the trophy and prize cheque from Naqvi.
Speaking to news agency IANS, Saikia congratulated the Indian team and praised the players and support staff for their efforts throughout the tournament. He said the trophy-related controversy should not take away from India’s achievement, with the team completing a commanding campaign.
Watch: On Indian Women’s Cricket team winning the Asia Cup 2026, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia says, “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.… pic.twitter.com/RiyfBWBGrD
— IANS (@ians_india) September 13, 2026
Devajit Saikia On India Women Not Receiving Trophy
Saikia explained that the decision was linked to the changed circumstances between India and Pakistan following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. He said India continues to participate in multinational tournaments under the government’s policy of playing against all countries, but that does not mean every condition associated with such events has to be accepted.
The BCCI secretary also pointed out that the Indian men’s team had taken a similar position after winning the Asia Cup in 2025. According to Saikia, the women’s team showed solidarity with that decision by not accepting the trophy from Naqvi.
He stressed that the decision did not diminish the team’s performance, with India dominating the tournament and ultimately lifting the title after beating Sri Lanka convincingly in the final.
Saikia Explains Viral Meeting With Mohsin Naqvi
The controversy gained further attention after television footage showed Saikia and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla interacting cordially with Naqvi in the Royal Box during the match.
Addressing the visuals, Saikia said there was no contradiction between meeting Naqvi during the game and the decision taken during the trophy presentation. He explained that he had been seated in the Royal Box from the toss until the end of the match and that meeting officials and other guests was part of normal match-day protocol.
Saikia said Naqvi came and sat alongside ACC deputy chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, while Shukla also joined him during the match. He maintained that such interactions were routine and should not be connected with the decision regarding the trophy.
He added that efforts had been made to resolve the situation surrounding the presentation, but the priority remained India’s victory on the field.
