Asia Cup: Can Surya & Co walk the path of boycotting Pakistan match in Dubai?

A ‘united’ stance taken by retired Indian stars like Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina and the Pathan brothers to not play their semi-final match against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends in England has turned the heat on the fate of the India vs Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai in September. The India Champions, as they are named in the privately promoted tournament, had earlier forfeited their group game against Pakistan too and have bowed out of the tournament.

No prizes for guessing, the WCL decided to abide by the public sentiment after the BCCI had been facing a severe backlash ever since the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the fixtures of Asia Cup last weekend with the marquee group league game between India and Pakistan on 14 September and chances of two more such clashes on the cards.  A Super Four meeting between the two on 21 September is almost a certainty with a chance of them again playing the final on 28 September.

The stakes for a WCL match and Asia Cup are like chalk-and-cheese, but the promoters and sponsors of the Legends tournament have now stolen a march over the BCCI with their unequivocal stance on the issue of India playing Pakistan.

Here’s what  Nishant Pitti, co-founder of travel tech company and sponsors @Ease My Trip posted on X on Wednesday: “The people of India have spoken and we hear them. EaseMyTrip will not be associated with the India vs Pakistan match in WCL. Some things are bigger than sport. Nation first business later, Always.’’

Such a narrative will surely add to the pressure on BCCI, who are the official hosts of the Asia Cup this time and are bound by a lucrative contract with Sony TV where India-Pakistan games are always the calling card for generating ad revenues. The same guiding principle of business has seen the ICC clubbing the two neighbours in the same group for all their major events for more than a decade now, even the T20 Women’s World Cup in India later this year being no exception.

While India-Pakistan cricketing ties have always skated on thin ice and bilateral matches only a part of history since 2012, the Pahalgam terror attack in May has seen their diplomatic relationship taking a nosedive. Media reports earlier said there was a chance that Asia Cup could even be shelved as India would not likely to play ball in a tournament being helmed by Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan interior minister and the president of ACC, but it proved unfounded.

Informed sources feel that the sports ministry is gradually shifting the ball to the BCCI’s court in the face of hostile public sentiment prevailing in the country after Operation Sindoor. ‘’The National Sports Bill is yet to be passed in the Parliament and till then, the ministry has no control over the BCCI’s actions,’’ sources said, though the guideline from Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya gives India the go-ahead to play Pakistan in only multi-nation tournaments.

A directive to such effect is also keeping in mind that India need to adopt a more ‘inclusive approach’ in sport as they prepare to launch a bid for the 2036 Olympics.

While the public sentiments among India and Pakistan fans are not overtly jingoistic among the expat population of the UAE, the possibility of three such matches less than barely one and-a-half months later in the Asia Cup is worrying. It’s difficult to imagine Suryakumar Yadav & Co. walking the same path as their retired peers in the coming days as it amounts to a walkover, and a huge loss of revenue for all the stakeholders.

 Watch this space before the last is heard on the issue!