Dubai, UAE – The Asia Cup trophy impasse continued for the second year in a row after the victorious Indian women’s cricket team on Sunday did not accept the cup from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairperson from Pakistan. Harmanpreet Kaur-led India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs to lift their record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, but the players did not come out on the field for post-tournament presentation ceremonies. It may be recalled that the Indian men’s team had last year declined to receive the Asia Cup trophy and medals from Naqvi, who heads the Pakistan Cricket Board and is also the Interior Minister of that country.
The Indian team is yet to receive the Asia Cup trophy, which has since been kept in the ACC office. Instead, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian outfit conducted an impromptu celebration on the dais without the physical prize. This time, however, the Indian women’s team members did not even return to the ground after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia presented Nandini Sharma with an in-house best fielder medal.
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The Sri Lankan team, meanwhile, received the runners-up cheque from Naqvi, and before that all the players and support staff accepted medals from SLC interim chief Eran Wikramaratne. Naqvi left the stadium immediately after presenting the award to Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu, but unlike last year he moved away without carrying the trophy. The development marks a continuation of the diplomatic strain between the two cricketing nations, with the trophy remaining in the ACC office for a second consecutive year.
