'We meet everyone': Devajit Saikia meets Mohsin Naqvi; India skip trophy ceremony

Mohsin Naqvi, Devajit Saikia. (Photo/screengrab)

The Asia Cup trophy drama continued for the second year in a row after Indian women's cricket team did not receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi following their title win in Dubai on Sunday.Harmanpreet Kaur-led India beat Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win a record-extending eighth Women's Asia Cup title. But after the match, the Indian players did not return to the field for the presentation ceremony where Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and Pakistan's interior minister, was present.

Hours after the final, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia defended the decision, saying situation has changed after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.“Our men’s team won the Asia Cup a year and a half ago. And our whole situation, since the April 2025 Pahalgam incident, changed after that. So, after that, there was pressure on us from our citizens that we shouldn’t keep any relations with our neighboring country and not play cricket with them. But our government has a policy that we must play against every country in multinational tournaments,” Saikia told news agency IANS.

“But that doesn’t mean we will follow every condition laid out for us. Our military conflict is still ongoing. One of the main leaders who is working against the interests of our country; we can’t receive the trophy from him. The Women’s team has expressed solidarity with the decision taken by the men’s team last year,” Saikia said.However, television cameras showed Saikia meeting Naqvi during the match. As players shook hands after the final, the broadcast showed the Royal Box at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where Naqvi first greeted BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and then had a conversation with Saikia.Asked about that meeting, Saikia said it was part of normal match-day protocol and did not contradict the BCCI's stand on the trophy presentation."It's not as if we wouldn't meet anyone. I was sitting outside in the Royal Box seats right from the toss until the end of the game. Having sat there, I remained in that same place throughout the match. Everyone who came met me during the match; someone sat next to me, then Rajeev Shukla came and sat with me.

The person you mentioned (Naqvi) also came and sat alongside deputy chairman Khalid Sahib. That's just a normal tradition—whenever anyone comes, we meet and talk with everyone.

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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 side conducted an impromptu celebration on the dais without the physical prize.However, this time 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.