New Delhi: Former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly wants India to play Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 amid massive outrage over the marquee clash in the tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government are facing intense criticism on social media ever since the schedule of the Asia Cup 2025 was made official on Saturday, July 26.
The tournament is slated to get underway on September 09, with India scheduled to play Pakistan on September 14. However, calls to boycott the clash have grown louder as many have urged the BCCI and the government to sever all cricketing ties with Pakistan. Fans, former cricketers and several politicians have objected to India playing Pakistan after the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year.
India conducted Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocents in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam valley. The border tensions escalated between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, leading to several Indian border cities coming under threat. However, all seem to have been forgotten in just three months.
On Sunday, speaking to the reporter, former BCCI president Ganguly said sport must go on as he gave his nod to the India-Pakistan clash. Ganguly said he has no problems with India playing Pakistan and that sport must go on despite immense outrage among geneal Indian public over the controversial match.
“I am okay. The sport must go on. At the same time Pahalgam should not happen, but the sport must go on. Terrorism must not happen; it needs to be stopped. India took a strong stance towards terrorism… Sport needs to be played,” Ganguly told ANI.
#WATCH | Kolkata: On India-Pakistan placed in the same group in the Asia Cup, former Indian cricketer Saurav Ganguly says, “I am okay. The sport must go on. At the same time Pahalgam should not happen, but the sport must go on. Terrorism must not happen; it needs to be stopped.… pic.twitter.com/Qrs17KOKrN
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2025