IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025: The high-octane clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is just around the corner, but the hype around it looks quite different this time.
The Indian fans are still coping with the tragic Pahalgam terror attacks just a few months ago, and at a delicate time like this, sports like cricket get sidelined. Despite all this, the broadcasters, the cricketing boards of both countries have made sure that the high-octane Asia Cup 2025 would witness the mother of all battles and will try to restart a rivalry, which once was considered as one of the fiercest in the cricketing world.
But due to the circumstances, the much-awaited match on Sunday might fizzle out since those sentiments are still afresh, and people are still emotional. It just isn’t about the Pahalgam terror attack, but also what followed after- Operation Sindoor and the retaliatory air strikes at the border. All this happened less than six months before has only intensified the unease. With the Sports Ministry giving the Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan a green light, the match would be held as per schedule. But it won’t be surprising to see if the seats at the Dubai stadium are full and if the ratings of this match go down, and this becomes one of the least hyped India vs Pakistan clashes.
The political tension between these two countries deteriorated in April this year, and controversies followed it. The Indian government might have given a clearance for this match, but a petition was filed to boycott this match in the Supreme Court, which was later dismissed. At the Shahid Afridi was recently seen taking a jibe at the Indian cricketers. A few ex-Pakistan cricketers did try to be respectful to the Indian team, whereas most of the players didn’t say much.
India might face Pakistan thrice during the ongoing continental tournament and then again in the 2026 T20 World Cup. With the Asia Cup failing to generate its usual hype, the rivalry between these two teams will cause more harm than any good. As per reports, the ticket sale of this clash hasn’t been sold out yet, but as per ECB and a few social media accounts, who don’t want to cover the clash, the BCCI is under pressure.
No star power
Besides the emotional setting, the star players not playing in this match has only reduced the intensity of this clash. Since there will be no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan. Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi can only do so much. What was supposed to be a launchpad for the next generation of this rivalry has been overshadowed by collective memory. And with the Men in Blue playing without a sponsor, they speak a lot since no brand wants to be with a team and face abuse, who is playing against Pakistan.
The tensions between these two sides are visible. The handshake incident between Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Ali Agha has only increased the list of this tension. According to some reports, SKY and Salman did share good relations off-stage, as the Indian captain also met PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, and that led to a lot of backlash on social media. In the Asia Cup press conference, Sanjay Manjrekar tried to intensify the rivalry by asking the India skipper if he had a message for their arch-rivals. SKY made a cheeky response, and in the end, they are just players. For them, too, their nation is their priority, and it’s the board and the governments who make the rules.
The hype for Sunday looks non-existent. Generally, the India vs Pakistan clash is considered the mother of all clashes, irrespective of the tournament. The Asia Cup match between these two sides in normal conditions might even pip a World Cup or a Champions League match. These two teams won’t play any bilateral series in the future.