India Says No to Asia Cup 2025 Led by Pakistan Over Terror Concerns

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has decided that Team India will not take part in the upcoming cricket tournaments run by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) if they are led by Pakistan. This includes the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

This decision comes after a tragic terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam area where 26 innocent people lost their lives. The attack has created a lot of anger and tension in India. Because of this, BCCI has taken a strong stand, saying it’s not right to play in a tournament organized by someone who is also a minister in Pakistan. The current ACC president, Mohsin Naqvi, is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister and head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Due to India’s decision, there is now confusion about what will happen to the Asia Cup 2025. India was supposed to host it in September, but without Team India, the tournament may lose a lot of viewership and sponsorship money. Big companies like Sony had already signed deals to show the matches on TV, which now may need to be changed.

This isn’t the first time cricket has been affected by India-Pakistan tensions. In the past too, India has refused to travel to Pakistan, and matches were moved to neutral places like Sri Lanka and the UAE.

The BCCI’s move shows that when it comes to national safety and strong emotions, cricket sometimes has to take a back seat.