September 6, 2025

The stage is set for the fiery India vs Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup 2025 on September 14 in Dubai, but some fans and former players are boiling with anger. Why? Because of a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22 that tragically killed 26 tourists. Many want India to boycott Pakistan in this big cricket event. But hold on! BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia had a solid reply that’s making heads turn. Saikia explained that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is strictly following the rules laid down by the central government. A fresh policy from August makes it clear: Indian teams can play in multinational events even if some countries aren’t friendly with India. But when it comes to one-on-one bilateral matches, those are still off limits. He said to ANI, “So far as the BCCI's view is concerned, we have to follow whatever the central government formalises.” He stressed, “Recently, our policy, which is in place, regarding India's participation in any multinational tournament or international tournament, there is no restriction imposed by the central government on whether we play any of the countries which are not on good terms with India.” Saikia made it crystal clear that India has to play these multinational meets, like the Asia Cup and ICC events, due to international commitments. “As the ICC Cup is a multinational tournament involving the countries of the Asia continent, so we have to play,” he said. For matches against Pakistan, this means yes to competition on a big stage but no to bilateral games. The BCCI Secretary warned of bigger problems if India refused to play multinational events. Sanctions could come down not just on cricket but on other sports as well! Imagine if star athlete Neeraj Chopra was stopped from competing because India skipped events to avoid a hostile country. That would be terrible for players. He added, “Suppose in athletics, India is not playing a particular tournament because we have to play with a player belonging to a hostile country. In that situation, if any sanction comes with the Indian Athletic Association, then take the example, suppose Neeraj Chopra, he won't be able to participate in any international event. So that will be detrimental to the interests of the players.” Saikia praised the government’s balanced policy crafted by the Youth and Sports Development Department. It protects India’s interests while keeping Indian athletes playing globally. So, despite fireworks in the stands, the BCCI is staying calm, cool, and ready to play by the rules.

Read More at News →

Tags: Bcci, Asia cup 2025, India vs pakistan, Government policy, Multinational tournaments,