Dubai, Aug 7:The highly anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup is expected to proceed as planned, despite ongoing tensions between the two nations.
According to a report by The National, the Emirates Cricket Board has expressed confidence that the marquee fixture, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai, will not be cancelled.
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 10 against hosts UAE in Dubai, before locking horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in their second Group A encounter just four days later.
The tournament will be hosted in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi serving as the primary venues.
The two sides last met in a T20 International during the T20 World Cup on June 9, 2024, in New York — a tightly contested match that drew global attention. The upcoming face-off in Dubai is expected to attract massive viewership once again, both at the venue and around the world.
However, amid political tensions and public sentiment in India, there have been growing calls from some quarters urging the BCCI to withdraw from the Pakistan fixture.
These calls intensified after India Champions refused to take the field against Pakistan Champions during the recently concluded World Championship of Legends (WCL), a privately organised tournament.
Subhan Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer of the Emirates Cricket Board, addressed the concerns, emphasising that the Asia Cup is an official, ICC-backed event — unlike the WCL.
“We can’t make any guarantees, but comparing the Asia Cup against a private event like the WCL is not a like comparison,” Subhan told The National. “When decisions to play in the Asia Cup are taken, government permissions are secured in advance.
That has definitely been done before arriving at the decision of announcing the schedule for the countries. So hopefully we won’t be in a situation as there was at the WCL.”
His remarks indicate that both cricket boards and the respective governments have already aligned on participation, significantly reducing the risk of last-minute withdrawals or fixture cancellations.
Should both India and Pakistan advance through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, they could potentially face each other up to three times in the tournament — once in the group stage, once in the Super Four, and again in the final, should both teams qualify.
For now, fans across the globe can look forward to one of the biggest sporting rivalries in cricket unfolding once again under the lights of Dubai, as cricket takes centre stage amidst the political backdrop. (Agencies)
