India-Pakistan matches have always created a huge buzz, with passion running high both on and off the pitch. With the two nations not playing a bilateral series against each other in the last decade and facing off only in Asian Cricket Council (ACC) or International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, every encounter is highly anticipated.
However, September 14’s clash between India and Pakistan will be played under largely different conditions. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, there are widespread calls to boycott the Asia Cup match to express solidarity with the 26 people who lost their lives in the attack in April this year, and their families.
Recently, in the World Championship of Legends tournament, the India Champions squad, featuring retired players like Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, refused to play against the Pakistan Champions in the group stage and semifinal.
#BoycottAsiaCup and #BCCI were trending on X, and other social media, as netizens slammed the BCCI and ICC chairman Jay Shah for going ahead with the Asia Cup match despite widespread opposition.
The family members of those who lost their lives in the attack in Kashmir had called for the Union government to cancel the match, saying that there should be no political or sporting ties with Pakistan after the attack. A plea was filed in the Supreme Court, too, against the match, but the apex court refused to entertain the plea. Opposition parties such as the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the AAP have supported the boycott.
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With pressure mounting, the BCCI officials seem to have opted for an ‘invisible boycott’ by distancing themselves from the match. A Dainik Jagran report said that no senior BCCI official has reached Dubai yet. If true, it will in stark contrast to what was witnessed during the match between India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year, when all the top BCCI officials were in attendance.
Only Rajeev Shukla, the acting BCCI president and an executive board member of the ACC, is expected to attend the match. Shah, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, treasurer Prabhtej Bhatia and joint secretary Rohan Desai are all likely to skip the match.
Both India and Pakistan have started their campaigns on a strong note – the Men in Blue thrashed the UAE by nine wickets, while Pakistanis scored an easy win against Oman.