Sources Confirm September 14 Clash to Proceed, Citing Tournament Rules and Disadvantage of Forfeiture. BCCI Navigates Public Outcry and Political Tensions Ahead of High-Stakes Continental Showpiece
July 29, 2025: Despite a wave of criticism on social media, top sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that the highly anticipated Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan on September 14 will not be cancelled.
India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup Match Confirmed: BCCI Cites Multi-Nation Format Advantage, Despite Public Outcry
The confirmation comes amidst an avalanche of public sentiment, with emotions still running high following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April, which claimed 26 lives. The gruesome incident, attributed to Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, even led to a brief military confrontation between the two nations. Just months later, their cricket teams are set to face off in a continental tournament.
“This is not a bilateral contest but a match in a multi-nation tournament. If India does not play or forfeit the match, it will give Pakistan a huge advantage. This will be like giving them a walkover, which is not desirable,” sources within the BCCI stated.
The sports ministry, while maintaining that any bilateral sporting engagement with Pakistan is “out of question” at this point, currently has no direct say over the BCCI. “As of now, the BCCI does not come under the purview of the sports ministry as the National Sports Governance Bill is still to be passed. So, the ministry doesn’t have a say, but we will wait and see how the BCCI responds to public sentiment,” a sports ministry source told PTI.
The sports ministry’s stance in multilateral contests aligns with the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination based on political issues. Adherence to this Charter is crucial for India’s ambitious bid to host the 2036 Olympics, especially as cricket is now part of the Olympic movement and set for a Games debut in 2028 in the T20 format.
Prominent figures like Lieutenant General (Retd) KJS Dhillon have called for a boycott of cricketing ties with Pakistan. However, former BCCI President and India captain Sourav Ganguly, while condemning terrorism, has asserted that “sport should go on.”
The Asia Cup, an eight-nation T20 tournament conducted by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and currently led by Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi, features a guaranteed India-Pakistan clash on September 14, with the potential for two more high-stakes encounters later in the tournament. Crores of rupees are riding on these games, with broadcasters like Sony Network, who secured eight-year broadcast rights for USD 170 million from the ACC, anticipating massive viewership and high advertising rates.
It is reliably understood that without the mandatory India-Pakistan engagement, the channel would face heavy losses, significantly impacting ACC’s revenue projections and, by extension, the financial health of its 24 developing member cricket nations. While these losses would not significantly hurt the cash-rich BCCI, they would have a cascading effect across the ACC.
The recently tabled National Sports Governance Bill, which contains a provision for the sports ministry to “impose reasonable restrictions” on international participation in “national interest,” is still awaiting parliamentary approval. Until it becomes an act, the BCCI retains its autonomy in such decisions.
India and Pakistan have not engaged in bilateral series since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks but have consistently faced off in multi-national events, drawing immense viewership worldwide.