Why India refused to accept Asia Cup Trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

Almost the same script played out at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday after Harmanpreet Kaur-led India women’s cricket team prevailed over Sri Lanka in a one-sided final, as had been the case after the India men’s team had won the Asia Cup last year.

The victorious team refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council Chairman and Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Earlier, the men’s team had done exactly the same.

According to media reports, the team did so in solidarity with the stand taken by the men’s team. sport-tr.bet

India head coach Amol Muzumdar said it was the stand taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team stood by it.

As Sri Lanka’s medal ceremony ended with skipper Chamari Athapaththu collecting the runners-up cheque from Naqvi and giving a post-match interview, the broadcast cut back to the post-match studio show.

Speaking after the press conference, as quoted by Cricinfo, Muzumdar said Team India being declared as champions is good enough. “That stand has been taken by the BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over, we are the champions. That’s good enough.”

Before the presentation ceremony started, Team India was in a huddle, with Muzumdar addressing the team and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajiv Shukla giving the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal to pacer Nandani Sharma. With ANI

India vs Afghanistan 2026: Former world No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma smashed a blazing 82 off 32 balls with 7 sixes and 7 fours as Shreyas Iyer’s side began a three-match series against ‘hosts’ Afghanistan with a dominant seven-wicket win and more than six overs to spare at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.

Abhishek’s explosive knock came with a strike-rate of 256.25 and put on a match-winning partnership of 121 runs in just 53 balls with his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Ishan Kishan, who notched up 42 in 33 balls with 1 six and 5 fours. The Team India opener set a new T20I world record for India surpassing former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav in the process.

The Punjab southpaw, who was retained for Rs 14 crore by Kavya Maran’s SRH, notched up his third fifty-plus score at a strike-rate of over 250 for India in his T20I career. Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav has hit two fifty-plus scores at a strike-rate of 250 in T20I cricket while batters like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya have only one fifty at strike-rate of over 250.

WATCH Abhishek Sharma score a blazing fifty against Afghanistan in the 1st T20I match HERE…

Abhishek Sharma doing what he does best

Stream the Afghanistan vs India T20I series LIVE only on FanCode #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/M6C9cEspAY

— FanCode (@FanCode) September 13, 2026

Abhishek Sharma’s fifty came off only 22 balls on Sunday – his 14th fifty in T20I cricket. Out of these 14 fifties, 12 have come under 25 balls. No other batter in history of T20I cricket has achieved this feat with Suryakumar Yadav being 2nd best with 9 fifties in less than 25 balls.

“I mean, of course, once you have decided, because I still remember two years back we decided we want to play in a certain way. We want to dominate all the teams throughout the whole year before the World Cup and things went pretty well for all the team, and especially for the batsmen as well,” Abhishek Sharma said in the post-match presentation on Sunday.

Abhishek Sharma won his sixth ‘Player of the Match’ award in T20I, equally the record of Ishan Kishan and Kuldeep Yadav in this format for India. Suryakumar Yadav holds the Indian record currently with 17 ‘Player of the Match’ awards while former India captain Virat Kohli retired with 16.

“But I think one or two series won’t define our team as a batting unit, because the way we all think as a batting unit, it always makes a team first. So we always wanted to give that start as openers, especially wickets like this, if you’re chasing 150, 160, and you give an early start as openers, it always makes you on the winning side,” Abhishek added.

Indian captain Shreyas Iyer felt Abhishek Sharma’s batting was simply ‘flawless’ on Sunday. “Starting off with Abhishek, I feel that the shots he played, it was flawless, and some of them were exemplary. But talking about Ishan, yeah, he’s been in great form currently, and the way he’s been portraying himself in the dressing room and also on the ground during practice sessions, he’s very relaxed, calm, and he knows his game at the moment,” Iyer said.

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 14 (ANI): The parents of Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma on Monday lauded the women’s cricket team’s Asia Cup 2026 triumph, praising the players’ collective effort and expressing hope that the team will continue its winning momentum at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.

Deepti’s mother Sushila Sharma told ANI that she avoids making predictions before matches and prefers to speak only after the team’s victory.

“I don’t make claims beforehand; I only speak after the victory. In the mornings, my focus is solely on God and on the children’s game. But after the win, my entire focus is on that. Deepti played very well, and I hope she continues to play like this. Wherever she goes, my blessings will be with her. She will always have the blessings of Bharat Mata and the grace of Lord Hanuman," she said.

Bhagwan Sharma, Deepti’s father, praised the Indian team’s all-round performance in the final, highlighting contributions from both batters and bowlers.

“Team India’s women put up a fantastic performance. They batted first, with every player contributing right down to the last ball. The openers were brilliant, and then came the bowling effort. Everyone bowled well, and they avenged their previous Asia Cup loss by defeating Sri Lanka this time around. I want to thank all the players," he told ANI.

He also expressed confidence in the team’s prospects at the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan.

“The Asian Games are coming up in Japan; I hope they deliver a similarly excellent performance there and bring home the gold medal," Bhagwan Sharma added.

Deepti’s brother and coach Sumit Sharma also congratulated the Indian team and praised his sister’s consistency across departments.

“I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the entire Indian Women’s Cricket Team. The team has performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament and secured a victory in today’s final with a brilliant performance. My best wishes go out to the whole team," Sumit told ANI.

Speaking about Deepti’s performance, he said, “As for Deepti, she has maintained great consistency in her performance; she is delivering excellent results, whether with the bat, the ball, or in the field. She always contributes significantly to the team’s success. In today’s final as well, she played a crucial role in the victory by taking three wickets. I hope she continues this excellent form in future matches."

Deepti played a key role in India’s 72-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 final in Dubai, claiming three wickets as the team secured its eighth continental title.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, with Deepti finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)