Who Should Present The Asia Cup Trophy? Jay Shah’s 2022 Precedent Questions Mohsin Naqvis Call - ABP Live English
India’s decision to skip the Asia Cup 2026 trophy presentation has sparked questions over whether the ACC chairman must personally hand the trophy to the winning captain.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai to win a record eighth Women’s Asia Cup title. However, the Indian team did not collect the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The controversy has revived an earlier example involving former ACC president Jay Shah, which suggests that the top official of the continental body does not necessarily have to present the trophy.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 23 runs in the 2022 men’s Asia Cup final in Dubai. 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 seen during the 2024 Women’s Asia Cup final. Sri Lanka’s women’s team received the trophy from Silva after defeating India in the final.
These examples indicate that the trophy presentation has not always been handled by the ACC president, even when the official was present at the tournament.
In the 2022 Asia Cup, ACC President Jay Shah was in office, but when Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the final, captain Dasun Shanaka received the trophy from Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva.So the trophy presentation protocol has never been limited to the ACC Chairman… pic.twitter.com/GTFFLLFS04
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has referred to the earlier editions while questioning the decision to place Naqvi at the centre of the 2026 presentation ceremony.
The 2022 final is particularly relevant because it shows that the ACC president’s presence does not automatically mean that he must hand the trophy to the winning captain. The responsibility can instead be given to the president or secretary of the winning team’s cricket board.
In the latest incident, Saikia said India had informed the ACC in advance that the team would not participate in the presentation under the existing circumstances. He described the decision as a conscious one taken after considering all the relevant factors.
The precedent from 2022 suggests that the answer is no. While the ACC president may attend the final and remain part of the official ceremony, the trophy can be presented by another senior cricket administrator.
That is what happened when Silva handed the trophy to Shanaka in 2022. The same official also presented the trophy after Sri Lanka’s women won the 2024 edition.
The 2026 controversy has therefore raised a broader question about whether the ACC chairman must be the person presenting the Asia Cup trophy, or whether the role can be assigned to another official to avoid a dispute.
India skipped the presentation due to questions regarding whether ACC Chairman Mohsin Naqvi must personally present the trophy. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated it was a conscious decision made after considering all factors.
Precedents suggest it's not mandatory. In 2022, Sri Lanka's captain received the trophy from their cricket board president, not the then-ACC president Jay Shah, even though he was present.
In the 2022 Men's Asia Cup, Sri Lanka's captain received the trophy from Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva. Silva also presented the trophy when Sri Lanka's women won in 2024.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team defeated Sri Lanka by 72 runs in Dubai to secure their record eighth Women's Asia Cup title.
Prateek Thakur is a Copy Editor at ABP Live English, reporting on major sporting events while spotlighting the human stories of athletes that matter.
You can reach out to him at prateekt@abpnetwork.com.
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