Reports: IND vs PAK match Asia Cup 2025 match to proceed amid criticism

India are going to clash against Pakistan in the 17th edition of the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to start on September 9. The arch-rivals are likely to clash against each other on September 14. However, due to the ongoing political tensions between the two nations, fans, cricket pundits, and former players have raised concerns over the match. 

After the Pahalgham attack in April 2025, the relations between BCCI and PCB aren't great either. Despite all these issues, India will still have to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup because it's not a bilateral series. As per reports, if India decides to not play the match, it will be like a walkover and the opponents will have the unfair advantage. 

"This is not a bilateral contest but a match in a multi-nation tournament. If India does not play or forfeit the match, it will give Pakistan a huge advantage. This will be like giving them a walkover, which is not desirable," said the sources. 

"As of now, the BCCI does not come under the purview of the sports ministry as the National Sports Governance Bill is still to be passed. So, the ministry doesn't have a say, but we will wait and see how the BCCI responds to public sentiment," a sports ministry source told PTI.

Recently, India boycotted their match against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025. Many prominent cricketers like Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and many more players boycotted the match and eventually it was called off. The emotions are quite high when it comes to India vs Pakistan, and the outrage against BCCI will not stop until an official statement is given by the Board. 

In the Asia Cup 2025, there is a high possibility that these two are likely to face each other thrice. Firstly, they are in the same group, so they'll have to play once in the league stage. Then, if they qualify as the top two teams in the group, they'll clash once again in the Super 4. If everything goes well for them, India and Pakistan might play in the Asia Cup finals as well. Hence, the tournament is promising a lot of interesting matches for three weeks.