BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has said that the board hopes that the men’s and women’s Asia Cup trophies will land on Indian soil ‘one day’ from Dubai, adding that although there is no timeline for when it will happen, BCCI is positive and hopeful about their arrival.
Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams refused to accept the silverware from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, leaving the trophies for both editions of the tournament at the ACC’s headquarters in Dubai.
Last week, India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, didn’t attend the presentation ceremony after winning the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, with Naqvi present on the dais. The stance mirrored that of last year, when the men’s team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi, who is also
the PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister.
“Asia Cup trophies, we hope they will come one day. I will not give you a timeline, but I can assure you that both the trophies will come up and land in this BCCI head office at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai,” Saikia said while speaking to the media.
Similar scenes could emerge at the Asian Games, with the cricket competition being held under the aegis of the ACC and both the Indian men’s and women’s teams among the contenders for gold.
The possibility of Naqvi being present at the medal presentation ceremony could add another layer of uncertainty to the event in Japan.
Saikia’s latest comments have added another dimension to the saga as Naqvi’s tenure as ACC president draws to a close. His current term ends in April 2027, with his future at the helm dependent on the members’ decision on whether to extend his tenure.
After the Women’s Asia Cup final, the Indian team held its own medal presentation ceremony, with Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla presenting Nandni Sharma with the fielding medal.
Shortly afterwards, Naqvi presented the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka at the official presentation ceremony.
