NEW DELHI – The controversy over whether the Group A match between India and Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup should happen has gotten more heated as the match date gets closer. After a recent terrorist assault in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, a lot of people in India have asked the BCCI to suspend the match because of how people feel about the country.
The BCCI, on the other hand, says it is following a government policy that lets Indian teams compete against Pakistan in international competitions, even if there is a prohibition on bilateral sporting connections. The Indian government adopted a rule following the Pahalgam incident that lets people play in tournaments like the ICC events, the Asia Cup, and the World Cup.
Kapil Dev, a former captain of India and winner of the 1983 World Cup, has added his voice to the conversation and asked for calm. Dev told reporters that the players should stay focused on what they need to do. “The players from India should only think about the game. He said, “They have a good team and have to win.”
Dev said it was important to keep politics and sports separate. “Players should just think about how well they are playing and not let anything else get in the way. Just go and win. “The government will do its job, and the players should do theirs,” the 66-year-old said.
The Supreme Court of India also got involved and refused to quickly list a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that wanted to cancel the match. A group of judges, JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi, said that the match going on as planned is not bad. The Court’s statement, “The match must go on,” made it plain where they were on the issue.
The exciting Group A game is set for Sunday, September 14. On September 21, the two teams will play each other again if they both make it to the Super 4s stage. If both teams finish in the top two slots in the Super 4s, there may be a third match in the tournament’s final.