India secured an eighth Women’s T20 Asia Cup title with a 72-run victory over Sri Lanka before executing a diplomatic boycott of the presentation ceremony in Dubai.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur orchestrated a commanding performance, underpinned by Shafali Verma hitting the fastest half-century in the tournament’s history. Verma reached the milestone in 24 deliveries during an innings of 68, forming a 129-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana.
The Indian bowling attack subsequently dismissed their opponents for 111, blunting the threat posed by the Sri Lanka captain following her recent strategic bowling evolution. Deepti Sharma claimed three wickets during the decisive defence.
BCCI Instructs Trophy Boycott
Following the victory, the Indian squad refused to accept the silverware from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi. The boycott mirrored the men’s team protocol breach at the 2025 tournament, driven by Naqvi’s concurrent roles as Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and interior minister.
“We did not want to be part of the presentation in line with our previous stand from a year and a half ago,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Hindustan Times.
Captain Praises Dominant Approach
Kaur commended her opening batter’s decisive impact across the campaign, which yielded 236 runs.
“I think Shafali had a great tournament and it’s good to see somebody like Shefali who is taking the responsibility and doing the job with bat and ball,” Kaur told CricTracker. “I can’t ask anything else from her.”
The off-field dispute continues as the BCCI insists on receiving the withheld trophies from the ACC deputy chairperson. Domestic white-ball action resumes next week in the approaching One-Day Cup final.
