Speaking to reporters after the BCCI’s 95th Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai on Friday, Saikia confirmed that the trophies would ultimately arrive at the BCCI headquarters at Wankhede Stadium. However, he declined to provide any specific timeline for their return to India.
“Asia Cup trophies, we hope they will come one day. I will not give you any timeline, but I can assure you that both trophies will eventually land at the BCCI headquarters in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said after the AGM.
Last week, the Indian women’s team defeated Sri Lanka to win the Women’s T20 Asia Cup title. However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side declined to receive the trophy from ACC president and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. A similar incident had occurred last year after the Indian men’s team won the Asia Cup.
After boycotting the official ceremony, the Indian women’s team held its own medal ceremony in the dressing room. During the ceremony, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and vice-president Rajeev Shukla presented the fielding medal to Nandani Sharma.
Saikia had made the BCCI’s position clear, stating that the decision was not directed against any player or the sport, but was a strict institutional decision taken while considering the circumstances and the prevailing sentiments in the country.
Cricketing relations between India and Pakistan have remained tense since the Pahalgam terror attack, with players from the two countries also refraining from shaking hands with each other during matches.
The cricket tournament at the Asian Games 2026, currently being held in Japan, is also being conducted under the ACC. If Mohsin Naqvi is present during the medal ceremony at the Asian Games, his presence could once again lead to a fresh controversy.
The Asia Cup trophies therefore remain in Dubai for now, while the BCCI has made clear that both trophies are ultimately expected to be brought to its headquarters at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, without specifying when that will happen.
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