BJP defended participation in the Asia Cup as mandatory in multilateral tournaments, emphasizing that bilateral matches between India and Pakistan remain suspended due to security concerns and India’s anti-terror stand.
Highest Score
The highest individual score by an Indian batsman against Pakistan in a T20 Asia Cup is 122 runs, scored by Virat Kohli in 2012.
Bengaluru: The much-awaited India vs Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 has ignited a political storm almost as fiercely as the match itself promises to on the field. While BJP and allied state leaders have defended India’s participation as a compulsory element of multilateral tournaments, parties such as Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have strongly opposed it, citing moral and national concerns. The opposition’s outrage stems from the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives and India’s subsequent retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, condemned the match as “shameless” and profit-driven, launching protests such as the “Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan.” Congress MP Imran Masood echoed these sentiments, questioning the government’s morality in holding a match so soon after the tragedy.
Adding to the chorus, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal accused PM Modi of bowing to external pressure, asking why a cricket match with Pakistan is being held despite national sentiment. Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia questioned whether cricket has become more important than the blood of martyrs, while Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha highlighted objectionable posts by Pakistani players mocking Indian women and demanded that the match be stopped immediately. Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar emphasised that those responsible for bloodshed and disrespect cannot be allowed to compete, asserting that nationwide protests will follow if the game goes ahead. AAP also called on Indian cricketers to boycott the match, urging the BCCI to withdraw the team to uphold national pride.
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BJP Highlights Importance of Competing
On the other hand, BJP leaders such as Anurag Thakur and Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam defended the team, explaining that India must participate in multilateral tournaments to avoid elimination, while also affirming that bilateral matches with Pakistan will remain suspended until terror threats cease. Anurag Thakur clarified that India’s participation in the upcoming Asia Cup match against Pakistan is strictly a matter of following tournament regulations, not a change in the country’s diplomatic stance. Speaking to ANI, Thakur emphasized that multinational tournaments organized by bodies like the ACC or ICC compel all participating nations to play scheduled matches, and failure to do so would result in forfeiture and loss of points. However, he reiterated India’s long-standing position on bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan, stating that the country will not engage in bilateral series until Pakistan halts its cross-border terrorist activities.
India on Sensitive Ground
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) urged Kashmiri students across India to exercise caution and sportsmanship ahead of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup. National Convenor Nasir Khuehami advised students to treat the match purely as a sporting event and avoid social media posts or discussions that could lead to trouble. The father of a Pahalgam terror victim, Sanjay Dwivedi, whose son Shubham was among the 26 civilians killed in the attack on April 22, 2025, has voiced strong opposition to India facing Pakistan in the ongoing T20 Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. Speaking to ANI, he urged the central government to consider public sentiment and take appropriate action, calling such sporting encounters insensitive so soon after the tragedy. Dwivedi stated that Pakistan was responsible for the killings and highlighted that the government had previously announced a suspension of relations, saying “blood and water cannot flow together.”
In response to rising sensitivities, the Indian government revised its sports policy in August, allowing Indian athletes to compete in multinational events while continuing to avoid bilateral contests against Pakistan. India opened the Asia Cup with a decisive nine-wicket win over the UAE while Pakistan defeated Oman by 93 Runs.