India vs Pakistan: Assistant coach of the Indian team explains the team's stance - 'You have to put those sentiments and the emotions behind'

With less than 24 hours to go for the India-Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025, something doesn't feel right. For a marquee clash of this stature, the usual hype is missing and the ticket sales, as has been reported already, have been shockingly below-par. Add to this is the 'boycott trend' that has been going strong on social media from a large section of Indian fans who don't want this match to go on. They are hoping for Suryakumar Yadav's men to back out of this fixture and hand Pakistan a walkover but that, obviously, isn't going to happen.

Amidst all this, we need to remember that it is an India-Pakistan after all, and hence, losing isn't option for both sides. So there is a lot of pressure but with an unusual tinge to it. Assistant head coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged the situation at the pre-match press conference but is confident of his side's ability to keep the external factors at bay.

"You know what the Indian government's stance is and now the team and particularly the players, you have to put those sentiments and the emotions behind," said ten Doeschate while addressing the media.

"That's something we addressed in the team meeting today. We're aware of people's feelings, at the same time we've got to go out, and the guys get a chance to play for their country, and they'll be as professional and focused as they can be given the circumstances."

There have been instances of India boycotting international matches in the past due to political reasons but those were during an era when BCCI had yet to gain the financial clout that it has today. Also, the most important thing to note is that it is incorrect for the 'boycott gang' to put the blame entirely on the Board, given that they ultimately have the backing of the Central government. The policy is clear - bilateral cricket with Pakistan remains suspended as it has been since 2012 but multi-national tournament fixtures have the clearance to go ahead. Which means a green signal for fixtures like the one in this Asia Cup.

It is not as if the team and coaching staff doesn't realise the magnitude of emotions at play. In fact, if anything it is the other way around and ten Doeschate is hopeful that the Indian team can put up a professional performance in such an environment.

"It's a very sensitive issue and I've got no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public," he explained. "The Asia Cup was in limbo for a long period of time and we were just waiting. We didn't think we were going to be coming at one stage.

"You know what the Indian government's stance is and now the team and particularly the players, you have to put those sentiments and the emotions behind. That's something we addressed in the team meeting today. We're aware of people's feelings, at the same time we've got to go out, and the guys get a chance to play for their country, and they'll be as professional and focused as they can be given the circumstances."

Head coach Gautam Gambhir, known for his fiercely patriotic feelings, has done a lot of work behind the scenes to ensure that the players are able to deal with the external pressures. ten Doeschate revealed that Gambhir has instructed his squad to keep things simple.

"Gauti's message has been sort of very professional about not worrying about things that are not in our control and being emotionless when approaching the cricket side of things. The guys are professional enough, I am sure.

"Individuals have different levels of feeling on the spectrum of where they feel the whole situation is, but the messaging has been to focus on the cricket, and try to focus on the one game tomorrow."