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The India-Pakistan rivalry is considered as one of the most intense in global sports. Matches between the two nations draw massive viewership, with the 2023 ODI World Cup clash in Ahmedabad reportedly attracting over 300 million viewers worldwide. However, the political tensions between India and Pakistan have frequently impacted bilateral cricket, with the two teams only facing off in multi-nation tournaments like the Asia Cup or ICC events since their last bilateral series in 2012-13. The recent terrorist attack on April 22, 2025 in Pahalgam and the continuous tensions between the countries have led to many uncertain speculations with regard to India Vs Pakistan clashes in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.
As Team India gears up for the Asia Cup 2025, set to commence on September 9, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has reportedly made a passionate plea to fans and critics, urging them not to target players over their participation in the tournament, particularly in match against arch-rivals Pakistan. Notably, both India and Pakistan are scheduled to play against each other on September 14. In his recent interview with India Today, Gavaskar said, “If the government has taken a call, I don’t see how the players can be criticised or commented upon.” He emphasized that the players are merely following the directives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “The players at the end of the day are contracted to the BCCI and they will be taking the instructions from the government of India. And so it entirely depends on that,” Gavaskar said.
The players are helpless in this: Sunil Gavaskar
Speaking further, Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted that the players are “helpless” in this. “They’ve been selected to play in the Asia Cup, and if the government says you have to play, then they will go out and play. If the government says you don’t, then the BCCI will act accordingly,” Gavaskar said. Additionally, the former Indian batter reportedly praised the squad selected as a “fabulous” one. “It has depth in batting, variety in the left and right-hand combinations, and terrific balance in bowling as well,” Gavaskar added. India will commence their Asia Cup campaign against the hosts UAE on September 10, 2025.
The tournament will see India compete in Group A alongside Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, with high-stakes matches scheduled against UAE on September 10, Pakistan on September 14, and Oman on September 19. The competition, culminating in the final on September 28, can prove to be a vital opportunity for India to test their T20 combinations on spin-friendly UAE pitches, which mirror conditions expected at the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. It will be the first multi-nation T20 tournament that Indian team will be part of since their T20 World Cup victory in 2024.
