Rajeev Shukla Defends India’s Asia Cup Trophy Decision
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Monday said the Indian women’s team’s decision not to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi was a “collective decision” taken by the Board.
India defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday but did not accept the trophy from Naqvi, continuing a stance first adopted by the Indian men’s team during the 2025 Asia Cup.
Shukla said Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, did not object to the decision.
“We discussed the matter among ourselves and decided that we would not accept it (trophy) from him. It was our collective decision. He (Naqvi) also did not raise any objection to it,” Shukla told reporters after arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport with the team.
“We informed our team accordingly, and he presented it to whoever he had to and then left,” he added.
BCCI Says Decision Was Communicated
Shukla’s comments were in line with the position earlier expressed by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who said the decision had been taken after considering all prevailing circumstances.
“We had taken a conscious decision considering all prevailing aspects, and our position had been communicated to the ACC in advance, that the Indian team would not participate in the trophy presentation under the circumstances,” Saikia had told PTI.
The decision came in the aftermath of the 2025 Asia Cup, when the Indian men’s team also chose not to accept the trophy from Naqvi.
The stance followed last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.
Shukla Dismisses Criticism Of Saikia
Images of Saikia speaking with Naqvi during the Asia Cup final had surfaced, prompting questions over the BCCI’s position.
However, Shukla described the interaction as routine and said there was no reason for it to attract criticism.
“What Saikia ji said is absolutely correct. When you are at a match, everyone is present there and interacts in a professional capacity,” Shukla said.
“Therefore, I do not think there should be so much criticism over that,” he added.
India Turn Focus To Asian Games
Shukla also congratulated the Indian women’s team for winning the Asia Cup and expressed confidence in its prospects at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan.
“We became Asia Cup champions. Our women have once again made us proud and we will continue to win in the future,” he said.
“The team is now heading to Japan and we are fully confident that we will secure a victory there as well,” Shukla added.
The Indian team will now shift its focus to the Asian Games after completing a successful Asia Cup campaign.
