Tensions between India and Pakistan following the recent Pahalgam attack have reverberated through the cricketing world, putting the spotlight on the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The fallout led to the cancellation of a highly anticipated World Championship of Legends (WCL) match between the India Champions and Pakistan Champions after Indian players opted out in protest.
Political Fallout Affects Cricket Ties
Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had suspended India’s participation in the WCL 2025. With diplomatic relations strained, the future of the Asia Cup 2025 appeared uncertain. BCCI was reportedly awaiting government clearance before making any definitive statements. Meanwhile, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) considered relocating the venue to ensure the tournament could still proceed.
Despite the uncertainty, the ACC took a bold step by announcing the official Asia Cup schedule on Saturday, July 26. The highlight of the announcement was the confirmation of an India vs Pakistan match, set for September 14 in the United Arab Emirates, the host nation for the tournament.
“𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔?”
Asked one fan on social media, echoing widespread public sentiment.
Social Media Reacts Strongly to IND vs PAK Announcement
The scheduling of the high-profile match sparked outrage across social platforms. Many users criticized the decision, with hashtags calling for BCCI to boycott the tournament quickly gaining traction.
“Why fool the public time and again?” read one viral comment on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting the growing frustration among fans.
Nonetheless, the ACC confirmed that the Asia Cup will proceed as planned in T20 format, aligning with preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2026. The 2025 edition also marks a historic expansion of the tournament, which will now include eight teams.
Tournament Format and Schedule
The teams are divided into two groups:
- Group A: India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE
- Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four round, where each team will face off again. The top two from the Super Four will compete in the final.
The Asia Cup 2025 kicks off on September 9, with the opening match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The tournament finale is scheduled for September 28.
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