The Asia Cup 2026 final ended with India lifting the title but without taking part in the official trophy presentation ceremony. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai to win a record eighth Women's Asia Cup, but the team did not accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The development has once again brought the role of the ACC chief in the trophy presentation under scrutiny. However, a look back at the 2022 Asia Cup suggests that the ACC president has not always been the official handing the trophy to the winning captain.
When Jay Shah Was ACC President
In the 2022 men's Asia Cup final, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in Dubai to win the title. Jay Shah was the ACC president at the time, but Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka received the trophy from Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva.
The same arrangement was followed when Sri Lanka's women's team won the 2024 Women's Asia Cup, with Silva again presenting the trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has since pointed to these editions while questioning the change in the trophy presentation practice.
The 2022 example is significant because it shows that the ACC president's presence does not necessarily mean that he has to personally hand the trophy to the winning captain. The presentation can instead involve the head of the winning team's cricket board, as happened with Silva and Shanaka.
The Indian team had informed the ACC in advance that it would not participate in the presentation under the circumstances, according to Saikia. He described the decision as a conscious one after considering all the relevant factors.
The 2026 incident has therefore revived questions about whether the ACC chairman necessarily needs to be the person presenting the Asia Cup trophy. The 2022 final offers a clear reminder that, at least in recent editions, the trophy presentation was not exclusively reserved for the ACC chief.
