IND vs PAK: Instances when India or Pakistan boycotted the Asia Cup due to political tensions

Due to the political tensions both India and Pakistan had decided to boycott Asia Cup in earlier occasions. Read about those instances in this article.

The Asia Cup, one of the premier cricket tournaments in Asia, has often been affected by the political tensions between India and Pakistan, two of the most passionate cricketing nations in the region. Over the years, political tensions have led to boycotts and cancellations, disrupting the tournament and reflecting the complex intertwining of sports and diplomacy in South Asia.

1986 Asia Cup: India pulled out

One of the earliest instances occurred in 1986, when the Asia Cup was held in Sri Lanka.

India decided to boycott the tournament, citing political tensions with the host country, Sri Lanka. This move was significant as India’s absence impacted the competitiveness of the event and underscored how political disputes could overshadow cricket, a sport deeply cherished in the region.

Sri Lanka went on to win the tournament, beating Pakistan in the final.

Read Also: Asia Cup winners in every edition from 1984

1990 Asia Cup: Pakistan pulled out

Four years later, in 1990, when India hosted the Asia Cup, the roles were reversed.

Pakistan chose to boycott the tournament due to the strained political relations with India. This boycott was a stark reminder of the continued volatility between the two nations and how political disagreements could prevent the two cricketing giants from competing on the same stage.

Pakistan’s withdrawal demonstrated the difficulties in separating politics from sports when deep-rooted diplomatic issues exist.

India went on to lift the Asia Cup 1990 by beating Sri Lanka in the final in Kolkata.

Read Also: ‘BCCI should not have accepted...:’ Aishanya Dwivedi, Pehalgam terror attack victim’s wife wants fans to boycott the INDvsPAK match.

1993 Asia Cup was cancelled completely

The political tensions between India and Pakistan escalated in the early 1990s to the extent that the 1993 Asia Cup was cancelled altogether.

The decision came after ongoing disputes made it impossible to organize the tournament with full participation.

In other tournaments where India or Pakistan pulled out

Even beyond the Asia Cup, political tensions have influenced other major cricket tournaments.

For example, in 2008, India withdrew from the Champions Trophy, which was hosted by Pakistan. Although this was not an Asia Cup event, the withdrawal was similarly motivated by security concerns linked to the political environment.

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