Amid tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack, the BCCI faces calls to boycott the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav were asked about it, creating an awkward moment during the squad announcement.
Amid the press conference for India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement, there was an unexpected moment when the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav were asked about the Men in Blue’s possibility of playing the match against Pakistan amid the heightened tensions between the two countries in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
When the Asia Cup 2025 schedule was announced by the Asian Cricket Council, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) received backlash and criticism from the Indian public for agreeing to play the match against Pakistan, especially after a horrendous terror attack on the civilians in the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 28 tourists, including 26 Indians and two foreign nationals, on April 22.
India’s face-off against Pakistan in the Asia Cup became a huge topic of debate and a sensitive issue, as there were calls for boycotting all sporting engagements with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, which not only shook the nation but also across the world.
Agarkar, Suryakumar left clueless over India vs Pakistan question
After Ajit Agarkar unveiled the 15-member India squad for the Asia Cup 2025, the chief selector and Suryakumar Yadav began to take questions about the selection, inclusion, and exclusion of certain players, team combinations, and others. However, a reporter suddenly asked Agarkar and Suryakumar about the BCCI’s decision to play the match against Pakistan.
As per the report by Hindustan Times, a reporter, who was at the press conference, asked the chief selector and India T20I captain how they are going to ‘approach’ the match against Pakistan, given the situation between the two nations over the past two months. Both seemed clueless on how to answer the question.
“Looking at this Asia Cup, there is a big game on the 14th, India versus Pakistan. With everything that has happened between the two countries over the last two months, how will you approach that game?” asked the reporter.
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The BCCI official, possibly the media manager, stepped in and said, “Wait, just wait. If you have a question regarding the team selection, you can ask that.”
India and Pakistan’s face-off has been restricted to ACC and ICC tournaments as the bilateral series between the two countries was indefinitely suspended by the BCCI after the 2016 Uri terror attack, wherein 19 soldiers were killed. The relationship between India and Pakistan further strained after the Pulwama terror attack.
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.
Will BCCI call off India’s Asia Cup clash vs Pakistan?
India has been clubbed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE in the Asia Cup 2025. Former Indian cricketers, Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav, called for a boycott of the Men in Blue’s clash against Pakistan, with the latter expressing his confidence that the match will be cancelled.
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.