LAHORE: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi is all set to grace the star-studded closing ceremony of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to take place after the tournament final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 13.
However, his presence as the chief guest has already shaken Indian team and management, with lingering memories of last year’s men’s final when the Indian team refused to accept the trophy from him, casting a shadow over the upcoming event.
🚨MOHSIN NAQVI TO PRESENT WOMEN’S ASIA CUP TROPHY.🚨(Arfa Feroz Zake)
– ACC President Mohsin Naqvi will travel to Dubai to present the trophy to the winners of the Women’s Asia Cup final, scheduled for 13 September.
MOHSIN NAQVI 🫡#AsiaCup | #Cricket pic.twitter.com/v7CPA1z7OM
— Rana Ahmad. (@AhmadRana056) September 5, 2026
Naqvi, who also serves as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, will travel to Dubai ahead of the summit clash and is expected to present the prestigious silverware to the winning side following the final.
The eight-team continental tournament, which kicked off earlier this month, will culminate on September 13 with the title clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
While the Indian women’s team has yet to secure its spot in the final, Naqvi’s scheduled role as the trophy presenter has reignited debate over whether the Women in Blue would accept the trophy from the ACC President, given the tense political and cricketing relations between the two neighboring nations.
The controversy traces back to last year’s ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup final, where India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in a high-voltage blockbuster clash.
Following the match, the Indian contingent made a conspicuous decision to skip the trophy presentation ceremony. Instead of collecting the winners’ silverware and medals from Naqvi, the Men in Blue chose to remain absent from the podium.
The ceremony, which commenced after an hour-long delay, saw only individual awards being collected by Indian players Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Tilak Varma for their standout performances. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha received the runners-up prize money on behalf of his team, but the ceremony concluded without the Indian team accepting the winner’s trophy.
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The unprecedented snub drew sharp criticism from cricket fans worldwide, who flooded social media platforms with condemnation, labeling the act as unsportsmanlike and disrespectful to the tournament’s integrity.
Many Indian supporters expressed their disappointment, taking to Twitter and Instagram to voice their embarrassment over the team’s decision, arguing that cricket should transcend political tensions.
Fans from Pakistan and other cricketing nations also joined the chorus of disapproval, questioning why the Indian players could not separate sport from geopolitics. Hashtags criticising the Indian team’s conduct trended for days, with fans accusing the players of bringing disrepute to the game.
Despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making multiple attempts to retrieve the trophy through diplomatic channels, the silverware reportedly remained at the ACC headquarters, further intensifying fan outrage and prompting many to criticise BCCI for its inability to resolve the matter and salvage the team’s tarnished reputation.
As the Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 approaches its grand finale, all eyes will now be on Dubai to see whether history repeats itself or if the spirit of the game prevails.
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With Naqvi set to be the chief guest, the cricketing world waits with bated breath to witness how the winning team, should it be India, chooses to respond. The incident has also reignited discussions about the intersection of sports and politics, with many hoping that the women’s final will be remembered for the cricketing excellence on display rather than off-field controversies.
Meanwhile, tournament organisers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure a grand closing ceremony, with performances and celebrations planned to mark the conclusion of what has been a thrilling edition of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup.
However, the unresolved tensions from last year’s men’s final threaten to overshadow the cricketing spectacle, making September 13 a date to watch for fans and pundits alike.
