BCCI ready to pull out of Asia Cup amid India-Pakistan conflict

The animosity between India and Pakistan has never been hidden from the world. The neighboring nations stand at loggerheads over diplomatic issues. However, throughout the years, the differences have not slipped onto the cricket field. But the BCCI has decided to draw the boundary this time. The India-Pakistan conflict, triggered by a rogue terrorist attack by a Pakistan-funded terror group, escalated to a point where the onset of war was threatened. While the situation has toned down with a ceasefire now in effect, India is less than interested in entertaining their erratic neighbor in any aspect from here on. In a move possibly directed at isolating Pakistan from marquee events, the BCCI has opted against playing the Asia Cup.

India finding it hard to maintain cricketing ties with Pakistan as the neighbour grows erratic in its terrorist acts

The heinous 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, proven to be the nasty work orchestrated by Pakistan, led to the Indian team never traveling to Pakistan again. All bilateral ties were curbed as India and Pakistan only met at ICC and ACC events from then onwards. Pakistan traveled to India for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup. But then, India is not the nation notorious for funding terrorism and posing a danger to those around it. Pakistan, meanwhile, has been grey-listed for the matter. Thus, when it came to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, India maintained a firm stance.

The BCCI sternly ruled that the Men in Blue would not travel to Pakistan for the ICC event, citing safety concerns as the major issue. With intervention from the ICC, a middle ground was reached with India playing all its fixtures in Dubai. A fragment of the fans and fraternity, no matter how minute, called for the sport to be kept away from politics. However, the fragment is now proven wrong with the recent move by Pakistan, where the nation staged the heinous Pahalgam terror attack. Moreover, Pakistan escalated the matter after India took aim at the terror camps under Operation Sindoor.

The Pahalgam terror attack has acted like a wake-up call for India. The government acted swiftly to teach a lesson to Pakistan this time, with the armed forces at the fore. Moreover, the retaliation by Pakistan was a clear signal that there remains no space for the neighbors to harbor any cooperation in any matter. Now, the BCCI is on the move to keep away from Pakistan on the cricket ground in all capacities. The board has informed its decision to pull out of the Asia Cup scheduled this year.

BCCI informs ACC of its decision to pull out of the upcoming Asia Cup

The ACC is headed by Mohsin Naqvi, the current PCB chief and an interior minister in Pakistan. With Naqvi in the lead, the BCCI is adamant about giving the Asia Cup a miss. The board has informed the ACC that India would be pulling out of the Women's Emerging Asia Cup and the Men's Asia Cup. The women's tournament is scheduled for next month in Sri Lanka, while the senior men's league is slated for September with India appointed as the host.

"The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC whose chief is a Pakistan minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation. We have verbally communicated to ACC about our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events too is on hold. We are in constant touch with the Indian government,” said a BCCI source providing an insight on the matter.

The exit of India would still leave the likes of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup mix. However, it goes without saying that the absence of the defending champions would leave the tournament pointless. Apart from the revenues that the team brings alone, the Asia Cup is mainly headlined by the fierce India vs Pakistan rivalry. In 2024, Sony Pictures Networks India secured the broadcasting rights for the Asia Cup for the next eight years with a deal valued at US$170 million. However, if the upcoming edition of the tournament is called off, the agreement may need to be renegotiated.

India's exit would mean that the tournament lands in a survival battle. The BCCI, meanwhile, is aware of the fact but remains adamant in its decision to culminate any ties with Pakistan. According to the guidelines shaped up during the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, Pakistan would have played their matches at a neutral venue despite India being the hosts. However, with India threatening to pull out from the ACC tournament altogether, the future of the Asia Cup now hangs in the balance.