India Asia Cup got an exceptional end on Sunday Night when the Harmanpreet Kaur and her squad were deprived of a trophy presentation after defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Women’s Asia Cup final in Dubai. India finished with a high-octane game to secure a record eighth victory in the women’s Asia Cup but the day was yet once wasted without a formal trophy being bestowed on the victors.
The presentation ceremony was delayed by almost 50 minutes after the final. Later, Sri Lanka, who were runners-up, were awarded their medals when the games finally started. But then the ceremony abruptly ended, India didn’t get their medals and got no trophy to lift.
The impetus to this were the presence of Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Naqvi is equally the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, as well as Pakistan’s Interior Minister. So it was thought that his appearance would only bring some tensions on the political and sports relations between India and Pakistan.
It would be similar to what has been after Asia Cup final last year. Earlier, India had also boycotted the trophy from Naqvi. The women again played in the same grade and did not participate in the trophy presentation.
The formal ceremony was not realised but the Indian players still managed to celebrate their achievement. While waiting a long time, the team did a presentation of their own best-fielder medals.
The fielding coach Munish Bali handed the medal to Nandani Sharma with the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia present to present the award. However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla was on hand to join the Indian party in celebrating.
But the main celebration was taking place on the field. India enjoyed a big night of the show in the final when they scored 184 points and held Sri Lanka’s 112-run to the wicket. The win allowed Harmanpreet to win a second major title and also put his team in an unbeaten streak for the entire tournament.
The first is the Indian batting, which played a key backbone role in helping them claim the victory. Smart MCG players Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma showed a brilliant tandem, which gave the team a fantastic start with a 129-run 12-wicket stand. Bowlers stepped down in the middle of the first half and played full MFPs which both the batters availed of and scored aggressive half-centuries.
Their collaboration enabled India to take control of their fate, the final. It was never going to be a choice for Sri Lanka with 184 always going to be hard to beat on a Dubai off the park where batting isn’t always as comfortable.
Next, India played the ball and the field. There were challenges in building partnerships but Sri Lanka’s efforts fall short of the expected mark at the end. The win of 72 runs was a confirmation of India’s supremacy in the match.
After the match, Harmanpreet complimented the team and stated that the players have kept on their high standards that they have set before coming to UAE. Additionally she spoke about the significance of 184 in a final.
She singled out Mandhana and Shafali for special mention, having given India the perfect start. It was not that playing on Dubai’s slower limits was an easy task for Harmanpreet and that of the opening stand was all the more crucial, she added.
But it was not just the cricket that made headlines following the match. Again without any trophy presented, the episode marred the relationship between Indian cricket and the ACC leadership again.
However, since tensions crossed the border between India and Pakistan began heating in 2025, the players of the two sides have not been shaking hands in the match. It’s the same spot where they saw the same during the last Asia Cup women’s final match, in which Indian team declined a Naqvi presentation.
India coach Amol Muzumdar sent a message fate of the team after the game. He said it was BCCI’s decision and the team was with it. What was all important for him and the players was the fact that Asia Cup had officially been won by India.
The players thus celebrated the achievement without any moment of lifting the trophy. Harmanpreet was also interviewed singly not as is usual, the winning captain.
The biggest lesson to learn for India, going for another one time this, is the Cricket. In the final, the team torched a massive 72-run haul with the opener pair of Mandhana and Shafali in action and bowlers sealed it off with a comfy shutout.
So, the India Asia Cup campaign is over, adding yet yet another weird trophy ceremony to the mix. The athletes atop the podium might not have gotten medals or the trophy in their hands, but the most important fact of the performance had been recorded on the scoreboard—they were the Asian Champions once again.
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