Asia Cup 2026: India Coach Amol Muzumdar Backs BCCI After Mohsin Naqvi Trophy Snub, Says ‘We Are Champions’
India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the Indian team did not collect the Asia Cup 2026 trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi following their emphatic victory over Sri Lanka in the final.
India produced a dominant performance at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs to lift the Women’s Asia Cup title. But the presentation ceremony quickly became the talking point after the Indian players stayed away from the official trophy presentation involving Naqvi.
For Muzumdar, however, the focus was never on the presentation ceremony. The India coach made it clear that winning the tournament was what mattered to the team.
India Coach Backs BCCI Decision After Asia Cup Trophy Snub
Speaking after the final, Muzumdar said the team stood together with the BCCI’s position and considered the tournament officially over after securing the championship.
“BCCI has taken this stand and we are with it. For us, this tournament is over. We are champions,” Muzumdar said.
The India coach also pointed towards the large display at the stadium, where India were officially declared the Asia Cup 2026 champions.
For the Indian camp, that was enough.
Muzumdar added that the team was happy to have achieved its main objective and had already shifted its attention towards the Asian Games.
The comments came after another unusual trophy presentation involving Naqvi, who is not only the ACC president but also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan’s interior minister.
India’s decision meant the players were not present on the field when Sri Lanka collected their runners-up medals. Indian officials, including BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla, were seen interacting with the players after the final and before the official ceremony.
The Indian team celebrated its victory separately before the presentation began.
When Muzumdar was asked whether India would eventually receive the Asia Cup trophy, he admitted that he had no information about the matter and did not want to speculate.
Why India Stayed Away From the Presentation Ceremony
The decision did not come as a complete surprise. A similar situation occurred during last year’s men’s Asia Cup, when India also refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi.
Political tensions between India and Pakistan had increased following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent military tensions between the two countries. Against that backdrop, India’s decision to avoid receiving the trophy from Naqvi became a major talking point.
This time, the same issue returned to the spotlight after India’s women’s team won the Asia Cup in convincing fashion.
Rather than allowing the trophy presentation to overshadow the result, Muzumdar appeared keen to keep the discussion centred on the players’ achievement.
His message was straightforward: India had won the tournament, and that was what mattered.
The final itself provided plenty of reasons for the Indian camp to celebrate.
India Dominate Sri Lanka in Asia Cup Final
India batted first and put 183 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets. It was a strong total on a surface where Sri Lanka needed an exceptional batting effort to stay in the contest.
Instead, India’s bowlers took control of the chase almost immediately.
Sri Lanka struggled to build partnerships and were eventually bowled out for just 111 runs in 20 overs. India therefore secured a comfortable 72-run victory and finished the tournament as champions.
Shree Charani was one of the biggest stars of the final. The Indian bowler delivered an outstanding spell, taking four wickets for just 20 runs and helping dismantle Sri Lanka’s batting order.
The performance summed up India’s campaign: aggressive with the bat, disciplined with the ball and clinical when it mattered most.
For the players, the championship was the reward for that consistency.
‘We Are Champions’ Becomes India’s Message
Muzumdar’s comments have also highlighted a broader point about how the Indian camp viewed the situation.
Rather than making the trophy handover the defining image of the tournament, the coach repeatedly brought the conversation back to the result.
India had won the Asia Cup.
That achievement could not be taken away by what happened during the presentation ceremony.
The Indian team had already celebrated with its support staff and officials before the formal ceremony. The players’ absence from the presentation therefore became a separate story from their performance on the field.
Muzumdar’s “we are champions” message captured the mood inside the Indian camp.
There was also no indication from the coach about when or how India might eventually receive the physical trophy. Asked about the matter, Muzumdar said he did not have an update and could not comment on something he did not know.
That cautious response ensured that the focus remained on cricket rather than speculation.
For India, the bigger picture is now about what comes next.
India Already Looking Ahead
Winning the Asia Cup has given the Indian women’s team another major boost, but Muzumdar is already looking towards the next challenge.
The coach said the team was now waiting for the Asian Games, suggesting that the players will quickly move on from the celebrations and prepare for their next assignment.
That mentality could be important for a team that has shown it can handle pressure in major tournaments.
The Asia Cup final was particularly convincing. India scored 183/5 before restricting Sri Lanka to 111 all out, winning by 72 runs. It was the sort of all-round performance that leaves little doubt about which team was the better side on the night.
The trophy ceremony may dominate social media discussions for the next few days, but inside the Indian dressing room, the result appears to be the priority.
India are champions.
And according to Muzumdar, that is all that really matters.
