The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has assured that India and Pakistan will not engage in any bilateral sporting action. Neither Pakistan would be allowed to play in India, nor would the Indian players engage in action in the high-risk country.
The Indian cricket team last played a bilateral series against Pakistan when they visited the country for a white-ball series in December 2012 to January 2013. Since then, their meetings have been restricted to the ICC and ACC international cricket tournaments.
Sports Ministry Revise Policy Over India’s Bilateral Sporting Ties With Pakistan
The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks had severely strained India’s diplomatic tensions with Pakistan, halting any bilateral action against Pakistan. The ties sapped further after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in 2025, with BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla assuring that Team India will not engage in any bilateral cricket against Pakistan.
In light of Pakistan’s brewing terror actions against India with the Pahalgam Terror Attack, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, where they dismantled the terror launch pads and infrastructure inside Pakistan and across the LOC.
The Indian government has revised its policy on sporting engagements with Pakistan, emphasising that it will not engage in any bilateral sporting action with the high-risk country.
“India’s approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country. In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s countries are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” a source in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) said to ANI.
No Restrictions Over India’s Participations In International Sporting Events
While the reformed policies have restricted any bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has exclaimed that Indian cricketers and athletes will be allowed to participate in international events, which will also feature their Pakistani counterparts.
“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons,” the source added.
Team India’s next big campaign in cricket will take place at the Asia Cup, where they will lock horns against Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.