Team India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came up with a unique celebration afterdefeating Sri Lanka in the ACC Asia Cup 2026. The Women in Blue dethroned their neighbours and recorded a huge 72-run win to claim
the Asia Cup title for the eighth time. However, the victory was followed by a huge drama as the Indians refused to accept the trophy from ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The ceremony ended with Sri Lanka receiving their runners-up cheque, medals and momentos from the officials.
While no reason was provided earlier, head coach Amol Mazumdar later revealed the decision to not accept the trophy was taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The scenario unfolded a year after chaos followed India Men’s win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup at the same venue but refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi. However, the Pakistan official, who also heads PCB, ended up ‘running away’ with the trophy, and the Indian team stood firm on their stance this year as well.
Pure joy and unfiltered emotions 🥳
🎥 Catch #TeamIndia’s heartwarming 𝙍𝙖𝙬 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 moments after sealing the #WomensAsiaCup triumph 🇮🇳🏆
#INDvSL https://t.co/e4zYfBAvSE
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 14, 2026
Harmanpreet Kaur Lifts Water Bottle as Mark of Celebration
While the Eight-Time Asian Champions refused to accept the mementos and trophy, it certainly didn’t dim their celebrations. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur produced a hilarious moment during the celebrations, and found an unusual replacement for the trophy as her teammates urged her to lift a water bottle during the group photo. As cameras captured the Indian team’s celebratory moments, Kaur was handed a water battle and teammates began egging her on to raise it above her head.
Read More: Varun Chakravarthy Ruled Out of Afghanistan T20I Series with Injury: Reports
The 37-year-old eventually ended up lifting the bottle like a trophy, prompting laughter from teammates. Needless to say, the spirit and celebrations quickly became one of the most viral moments from the summit clash in Dubai. Indian fans lauded the team’s spirit despite not having received the coveted trophy.
