Will India Women get Asia Cup trophy if they win? Naqvi to attend closing ceremony

Mohsin Naqvi is expected to attend the Women's T20 Asia Cup final in Dubai, potentially setting up another awkward trophy presentation involving India.India Women have reached the semi-finals unbeaten after dominant wins over Thailand, Hong Kong and Pakistan.

In Short

• Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly set to be the chief guest at the September 13 final
• India celebrated last year’s men’s Asia Cup triumph without receiving the trophy
• Harmanpreet Kaur’s India Women have won all three of their group matches

An awkward presentation ceremony could once again become a talking point if India Women go all the way in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, with ACC president Mohsin Naqvi expected to attend the final in Dubai. According to Geo Super, Naqvi is set to be the chief guest at the closing ceremony on September 13 and could present the trophy to the champions.

The possibility is likely to draw attention because of what happened at last year’s men’s Asia Cup final. India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Dubai to retain the title, but the presentation ceremony ended without the Indian team receiving the trophy from Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s interior minister.

WHAT HAPPENED AT LAST YEAR’S MEN’S ASIA CUP FINAL?

After India’s victory in the 2025 final, the presentation ceremony was delayed by more than an hour amid a standoff over the trophy presentation. India had indicated that they did not want to receive the trophy from Naqvi and were prepared to accept it from a neutral official instead.

However, the trophy was ultimately not handed over, with India celebrating their title without the silverware on the podium.

The episode added another layer to an already politically charged tournament and raised questions over whether a similar situation could arise if India Women win this year’s competition. There has been no indication, however, from the Indian team or the BCCI about how they would approach a potential presentation involving Naqvi.

INDIA WOMEN MARCH INTO SEMI-FINALS UNBEATEN

For now, India’s focus remains firmly on the cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side have made an impressive start to their campaign, winning all three of their group matches to seal their place in the semi-finals.

India opened their campaign with a 94-run victory over Thailand before producing an even bigger performance against Hong Kong. Smriti Mandhana smashed a record-breaking 124 off 64 balls to help India post 193 for five, before the bowlers dismissed Hong Kong for 56. The 137-run victory was India’s second-biggest win in women’s T20I cricket.

India then completed a dominant seven-wicket win over Pakistan, bowling their rivals out for just 55. Sree Charani and Prema Rawat claimed three wickets each, while India chased down the target in only 8.4 overs. The victory maintained India’s unbeaten run and strengthened their position at the top of Group A.

With India now through to the knockout stage, the trophy question could eventually become unavoidable. If Harmanpreet and her team lift the title on September 13, will they collect the silverware from Naqvi, or could last year’s extraordinary scenes be repeated?

For now, that remains an unanswered question.

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