NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has expressed his support for the India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025, saying that cricket should not be halted due to political tensions.
Ganguly’s remarks come amid calls from some former Indian cricketers to boycott matches against Pakistan after a recent military confrontation.
Speaking to Indian media, Ganguly affirmed the importance of continuing sporting engagements, particularly the much-anticipated Asia Cup match between the arch-rivals scheduled for 14 September in the United Arab Emirates.
“I have no issue with it. Sports must go on,” Ganguly said. “Tragic events like the Pahalgam attack should never occur, but they shouldn’t be used as a reason to halt cricket.”
Ganguly was referring to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, a tourist resort in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, where gunmen killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan for the assault without presenting any evidence.
Pakistan condemned the attack and strongly rejected the Indian allegation as baseless. Islamabad offered neutral and transparent international investigations into the incident. However, India failed to respond to Pakistan’s offer and continued with its aggressive posture, jeopardising regional peace.
India and Pakistan, who share one of the fiercest rivalries in world cricket, have not played a bilateral series in over a decade due to strained diplomatic ties.
While cricketing contests between the two nations now occur only during multilateral tournaments, the political backdrop often fuels calls for boycotts.
The Asia Cup 2025, to be held in T20 format, is scheduled to run from 9 to 28 September in the UAE. The tournament will serve as a build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India and Pakistan have been drawn together in Group A, alongside the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Group B features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Pakistan will begin their campaign on 12 September against Oman, while the India-Pakistan fixture will take place two days later in what is expected to be the tournament’s marquee group-stage match.
Should both teams qualify, they are expected to meet again in the Super Four stage on 21 September, with the final set for 28 September.
Despite recurring diplomatic strains and border skirmishes, India-Pakistan cricket matches consistently draw massive viewership globally.
