The much-awaited Asia Cup 2025 kicks off on September 7. The tournament will be played in a T20 format, and as one would expect, both India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group. The two arch-rivals are scheduled to square off on September 9. But in light of the recent Pahalgham attack and the military escalation which soon followed in the wake of the terror attack, fans from either side are certainly not looking forward to this rivalry. The heightened conflict has fueled bitter feelings between the two ideologically opposed nations and has led to the severe deterioration of diplomatic ties. 

As Pakistan and India have been in a state of war for a long time now, and with the Indian Government's stance clear this time, the Indian team's participation in the marquee event seemed highly unlikely right from the onset. Besides, the involvement of the current chief of the Asian Cricket Council, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister of Pakistan, made things more murky. However, despite the calls for a boycott growing much louder than before, BCCI has stunned the entire nation by formally confirming its participation in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan.  

While this move has attracted sharp criticism from the Indian fans, we will delve deep to assess whether it was the right choice from the BCCI to go ahead with the IND-PAK clash despite the simmering tensions that have existed after the latest military showdown. 

See also: Asia Cup 2025 in doubt after Pahalgam Terror attack?

CricketWinner's opinion on IND-PAK

Mixed responses have flooded the internet ever since the news of the Ind-Pak Asia Cup clash broke out. While the general consensus does not seem to be in favor of this clash, we, at CricketWinner, do not agree to this move from the BCCI either. India and Pakistan have historically fought numerous wars since their independence in 1947. Three of those major wars broke out in 1965, 1971, and 1999. Mistrust and political divide have long existed between the two nations. Although in the good old days, the hostilities would subside after a certain point, the latest political climate has deteriorated to such an extent that teams are now refraining from playing on each other's turf. Both countries have been in a war-like situation for decades, and in such an environment, it becomes tricky to heal the wounds by just playing cricket.  

Besides, Pakistan has long been accused of sponsoring terrorism against India. Their government has been involved in orchestrating heinous attacks against innocent Indian civilians. The most barbaric of them all was the 26/11 attack on the Taj Hotel in 2008, which shook the nation to its core and forced us to review our cricketing ties with Pakistan. The attacks have since continued even after a series of negotiations and warnings from the Indian government. Our effort to resolve the cross-border terrorism has failed as Pakistani terrorists have launched subsequent attacks on our soil in Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam in 2016, 2019, and 2025, respectively. It is widely believed that these terrorists are directly funded by the Pakistani government and act on their instructions. Keeping this in mind, India can certainly not normalize cricket ties with a country that are directly launching attacks and spewing bloodshed.

Lastly, the Pakistani players have also issued ill statements against our armed forces and the Indian government in the wake of Operation Sindoor, leaving a bad taste in our mouth. Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi unbelievably went on to mock India when the shocking terror attack at Pahalgam unfolded. More Pakistani icons also followed suit and took the opportunity to defame India amid the escalation. Celebrities such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Mawra Hocane, and Fawad Khan faced backlash from the Indian audience when their anti-Indian posts on social media went viral.

Both India and Pakistan have been embroiled in an ugly diplomatic spat, which is highly unlikely to resolve anytime soon. Besides, the lingering debate on the sovereignty of the disputed state of Kashmir has created irreparable damage that won't fix on its own. Moreover, the ongoing border skirmishes in response to Pakistan's relentless waves of terror attacks do not constitute a healthy environment for cricket to prevail between the two cricketing giants.