IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025: Former Sports Minister clears air on Why the clash is happening

Some individuals on social media and in the public sphere have expressed their desire for India to skip the match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025. Anurag Thakur, a former Sports Minister and current BJP Member of Parliament, stated that such disagreements are inevitable in tournaments organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) or the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The last time the two countries faced each other in a bilateral series was during the 2012-13 season. Since then, they have only competed in global or regional tournaments such as the Asia Cup, ODI World Cup, and T20 World Cup. This latest controversy arises amidst heightened tensions following Operation Sindoor – India’s military response to terrorist groups in Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. As a result, some former cricketers and fans are calling for the match to be cancelled altogether.

Anurag Thakur, addressing the issue in a video shared by ANI, explained why India continues to face Pakistan in multinational events. “When multinational tournaments are organised by ACC or ICC, it becomes a compulsion, a necessity for nations to participate. If they don’t do that, they will be eliminated from the tournament, they will have to forfeit the match and the other team will get the points… But India doesn’t play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan. We have made this decision for years that India won’t play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan until Pakistan stops terrorist attacks on India.”

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#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: On the upcoming India vs Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025, BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, "When multinational tournaments are organised by ACC or ICC, it becomes a compulsion, a necessity for nations to participate. If they don't do that, they will be… pic.twitter.com/ybP4n9nCaJ

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2025

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh also weighed in on the debate, stressing that personal sentiment and policy often differ in such matters. Speaking at a Society magazine event, he said: “India-Pakistan matches always come into the limelight, but after Operation Sindoor, everyone said there should be no cricket and no business. We were playing the World Championship of Legends, but we did not play that match against Pakistan.”

Despite the controversy, the Asia Cup match between the archrivals is expected to go ahead. Both India and Pakistan come into the game with winning records, making this fixture crucial for securing a spot in the Super Four.