Asia Cup 2025: India's decision to play ball with Pakistan sparks political row

The fact that an India-Pakistan face-off in white ball cricket is something the sport cannot do without was amplified once again when the schedule for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in UAE—albeit after its share of suspense—was announced on Saturday evening. The narrative of India not willing to engage in cricketing relations, so soon after Operation Sindoor in May-June, seems a distant memory as there could be as many as three T20I matches between them in this tournament.

Clubbed in Group A by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to ensure a group league game on 14 September in Dubai, they are again likely to clash on 21 September in the Super Four stage, unless there is a major upset in the group stages. The final of the eight-team tournament could potentially be their third meeting on 28 September.

The announcement has, however, caused a major outrage in the political circles with opposition questioning India's decision to play ball. Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha MP from Uddhav Thackeray faction said: ''Dear BCCI, remember all of us Indians will protest any engagement with Pakistan on the cricket ground whichever country you move this to. On one hand India's CDs has said Operation Sindoor is ongoing and on the other hand you'll rush to earn your blood money.''

Sukhdev Bhagat, Congress MP from Jharkhand, said that national sentiments will be hurt at such a move. ''Many people say that sports should be kept separate from politics or everything else, but patriotism and national sentiments are hurt due to such acts of Pakistan,'' he said in reference to suspected Pakistan hand in the terror attacks in Pahalgam.

Another voice of dissent was that of former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin who, in an interview with Times of India asked: ‘’If they are not playing bilateral tournaments, why are India and Pakistan playing in multilateral events?’’

Incidentally, an India-Pakistan match in the World Champions League (WCL), a masala tournament in Birmingham scheduled last week, had to be called off at the last minute with at least five Indian players pulling out owing to heavy trolling on social media. As a private event involving retired stars or those without central contracts, it seemed a 'soft target', but the decks now seem cleared for future India-Pakistan cricket matches in multilateral tournaments, provided they are held at neutral venues (read: UAE or Sri Lanka).

The so-called softening of the Indian government’s stance on sporting relations with the neighbours is being attributed to the need of an ‘inclusive approach’ as India targets to host the 2036 Olympics. This prompted the green signal to the Pakistan hockey team for the Men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir while Union sports & youth affairs minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently hinted that the Centre has no objection to engaging with Pakistan in multilateral competitions, though bilateral matches were out of the question.

No prizes for guessing that the broadcasters (Sony Sports in Asia Cup) must have also played their part in ensuring a minimum number of India-Pakistan matches to market their tournament.

Two groups

The eight teams have been split into two groups: India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman in Group A while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong constitute Group B. There will be 19 games in all with the final on the month’s last Sunday. The ACC has not officially announced the venues but Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be hosting the games.

The last time India and Pakistan played on the ICC stage was in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year when India played all their matches in Dubai and reclaimed the trophy. Hosts Pakistan played India in Dubai and lost as Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten century. In the T20 format, their previous clash was in the T20 World Cup 2024 on US soil. In New York, India beat Pakistan in a low-scoring game and went on to win the trophy after 17 years. 

Men's Asia Cup Schedule

Sept 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong;

Sept 10: India vs UAE

Sept 11: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong

Sept 12: Pakistan vs Oman

Sept 13: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka

Sept 14: India vs Pakistan

Sept 15: UAE vs Oman

Sept 15: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong

Sept 16: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan

Sept 17: Pakistan vs UAE

Sept 18: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan

Sept 19: India vs Oman

Super 4 stage:

Sept 20: B1 vs B2

Sept 21: A1 vs A2

Sept 23: A2 vs B1

Sept 24: A1 vs B2

Sept 25: A2 vs B2

Sept 26: A1 vs B1

Final: Sept 28