Asia Cup 2025: “They will be eliminated”: Ex-Sports Minister reveals why India agreed to Pakistan clash
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Asia Cup 2025 will see a high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan on the 14th of September at the Dubai International Stadium. The reason behind the massive permission granted to the Indian team by their government has been revealed.
The Asian Giants India and Pakistan have faced a huge backlash due to political reasons, as they have not played in a single bilateral series for over a decade. On the other hand, the BCCI has permitted them to play in the matches governed by the Asian Cricket Council and the International Cricket Council.
They have been featured in the ODI as well as T20 multinational events, like the Asia Cup 2025, the ICC T20 World Cup, the ICC World Cup, and the ICC Champions Trophy. The Asia Cup 2025 will also feature the two teams.
Former Indian Sports Minister issues clarification on India's show in the Asia Cup 2025
India playing against Pakistan and the Indian government granting permission for the event has been a controversial decision. The incident that took place in the Pehalgam valley marked fuming outrage from the Indian fans. They were clueless that after such a gruesome attack, the government granted permission.
This permission was granted by the government following the ICC rules, according to which every team would have to either participate or withdraw from the competition.
Anurag Thakur has issued a clarification that such contests are unavoidable, as they cannot withdraw from selective matches according to the norms of the Asia Cricket Council and the International Cricket Council.
Why is India compelled to face Pakistan in multi-national events?
The upcoming event has faced immense backlash, as a result of which Indian fans have been disgusted by the cricketing relations between India and Pakistan. Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, addressing the issue, has explained why India continues to face Pakistan in multi-nation events.
"When multinational tournaments are organised by ACC or ICC, it becomes a compulsion, a necessity for nations to participate. If they don't do that, they will be eliminated from the tournament, they will have to forfeit the match, and the other team will get the points."
"But India doesn't play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan. We have made this decision for years that India won't play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan until Pakistan stops terrorist attacks on India," said Anurag Thakur.
Both India and Pakistan have made a commanding start to their campaigns in the Asia Cup 2025
India made their start in the Asia Cup contest with a compelling win against the unofficial hosts, the United Arab Emirates. They have dominated in the Asia Cup 2025 opening contest, as they bowled out their opposition for just 57 on the board.
India won the match with 9 wickets to spare and 93 balls remaining as they climbed to the top with a huge net run rate of above 10. Pakistan, on the other hand, dominated in their tournament opener as well. They played their opening game on the 12th of September against Oman and won by a huge 93-run margin.
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India National Cricket Team Pakistan National Cricket Team India vs Pakistan Asia Cup BCCI ICC PCB
