Former cricketer Kedar Jadhav calls for India to boycott the Asia Cup match against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. He praises Operation Sindoor and believes India should not play, echoing similar sentiments from Harbhajan Singh.
Former India cricketer Kedar Jadhav made a massive and bold statement on the Men in Blue’s clash against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in the group stage of the tournament on September 14 at Dubai International Stadium.
The two arch-rivals will likely face off three times in the eight-team continental tournament, potentially locking horns in the Super 4 clash and the final, which will take place on September 28. The last time India and Pakistan met in the multi-nation tournament was at the Champions Trophy this year, where the Men in Blue defeated Mohammad Rizwan-led side by six wickets in Dubai.
However, there has been criticism over the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreeing to play the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan, especially in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, wherein 28 tourists, including 26 Indians and two foreign nationals, were killed in Baisaran Meadows, 7 kilometres away from the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.
‘This match should not be played at all’
Kedar Jadhav joined the chorus of voices opposing the clash, stating that India’s Asia Cup clash against Pakistan should not happen in the light of the Pahalgam terror attack, while lauding Indian armed forces for Operation Sindoor.
“I think the Indian team should not play at all. As far as India is concerned, I think that wherever India plays, it will always win, but this match should not be played at all, and they will not play. I can say this with confidence. Operation Sindoor is a hit, it is successful,” an Indian cricketer turned politician told ANI.
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Earlier, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh called for a boycott of India’s matches against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, stating that the sacrifices of the soldiers who are protecting the border, as well as the nation, cannot be compared to playing cricket with Pakistan. He further urged Indian cricketers not to shake hands with their arch-rivals until the situation is resolved between the two nations.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, destroying terror camps in Pakistan that were operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. A total of nine terror camps were destroyed in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including those in Bahawalpur, Tehra Kalan, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
Will India call off the Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025?
India has been clubbed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE in the Asia Cup 2025. India and Pakistan’s clash has been restricted to ACC and ICC tournaments, as the bilateral series between the two countries has been suspended indefinitely following the 2016 Uri terror attack, which killed 19 Indian soldiers.
For the Champions Trophy 2025, the BCCI refused to send the Men in Blue to Pakistan, the host of the tournament, and India’s matches were relocated to Dubai. The Asia Cup 2025 was supposed to be hosted by India, but the BCCI agreed to organize the tournament at a neutral venue as per the previous agreement with PCB after India did not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
However, the Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan is likely to take place as per the schedule unless the BCCI chooses to withdraw from the fixture in view of the public sentiment over the Pahalgam terror attack and the mounting calls for a complete boycott of sporting engagements with Pakistan.