India vs Pakistan match in Asia Cup 2025 blocked by BJP leader despite Sports Ministry Clearance

Former batter Manoj Tiwary has raised concerns about the India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Tiwary said that the match between two neighbors will take place despite the recent loss of innocent lives, adding that the value of human life is zero.

India will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a match against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai. They will take on Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. The team will conclude their group stage fixtures against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

Notably, the schedule has stirred discussions, especially after former Indian players boycotted games against Pakistan in the World Championships of Legends due to ongoing bilateral tensions.

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Value of Human Life Is Zero - Manoj Tiwary on India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Clash

India’s sports ministry confirmed that the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan will take place as per the schedule, while a bilateral series between the two nations will continue to be banned.

Manoj Tiwary said that he was surprised the match is taking place after the Pahalgam attack. He emphasized that human life should be more than sports and stated he has no intention of watching the game.

"I am a little surprised that this match is going to happen... After the Pahalgam attack, in which so many innocent civilians were killed, and then the war that followed, a lot of talk was going on that this time we will give a befitting reply," Tiwary told ANI.

"Despite this, after a few months, everything has been forgotten... I find it hard to believe that this match is happening, that the value of a human life can be zero. What do they want to achieve by playing with Pakistan?... The value of a human life should be more than sports... There is no question of me watching the match at all..." he added.

Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal Omitted from Asia Cup 2025 Squad

The squads for the Asia Cup 2025, set to begin on September 9, have been finalized by India and Pakistan. India announced on Tuesday during a press conference featuring captain Suryakumar Yadav, vice-captain Shubman Gill, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

The selectors opted to leave out Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the main lineup, despite their impressive performances in IPL 2025. Jaiswal was named among the reserves, alongside Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna, and Dhruv Jurel.

Meanwhile, Pakistan omitted senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from their squad. India and Pakistan can face each other up to three times in the tournament if they qualify for the final.

Two Deserving Candidates Have Not Been Able to Make It to the Team - Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary shared his thoughts on the omission of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the Asia Cup squad. Tiwary added that the selection process should be conducted transparently so fans understand the decisions.

"Two deserving candidates, Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, have not been able to make it to the team... If you see old videos of Gautam Gambhir, he had said that Yashasvi Jaiswal is such a player that we cannot think of keeping him out of T20s," Tiwary said.

"Now that he himself is the coach, there is no place for Shreyas Iyer in the team. Shreyas Iyer's performance is the best if you look at the last year... It's eye-opening that he didn't get a place in the T20... The selection process should be made live so that sports lovers know who has been selected and why," he added.

Also read: Asia Cup 2025- Team India to play without title sponsor