BCCI's stance on India-Pakistan cricket matches remains unclear amid rising tensions

Following a devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, South Kashmir, that claimed the lives of 26 civilians on April 22, conversations have intensified around the potential impact on future cricket encounters between India and Pakistan. The incident has triggered widespread speculation regarding whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India is considering a change in its approach to bilateral and tournament-based matches involving the two nations.

A recent report by Cricbuzz has suggested that any claim about the BCCI approaching the International Cricket Council to keep India and Pakistan in separate groups for upcoming events might currently be just speculation. A senior official from the board also mentioned that there is no knowledge of any formal proposal being made in this regard.

No India-Pakistan matches on Indian soil for now, say sources

This comes amid reaffirmation by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who stated that the board will continue to follow the directions provided by the Indian government in such matters. The Women’s ODI World Cup, which India will host in September, is the next major ICC tournament. Pakistan has qualified for this eight-team event, which follows a round-robin format. However, due to political sensitivities, none of Pakistan’s matches will be played in India. The organizers are currently working on finalizing a neutral venue for those games.

More immediately, the Asia Cup scheduled for September is also under the spotlight. India is the official host, but earlier discussions suggested that the entire tournament could take place in neutral locations like Dubai or Sri Lanka. Despite these reports, the Asian Cricket Council has already secured media rights worth 170 million dollars across four editions of the tournament. These rights were sold under the assumption that each edition would feature at least two matches between India and Pakistan, and potentially a third if both teams reach the final.

In the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup, India and Pakistan faced each other twice, once during the group stage and again in the Super Four. The latter game was abandoned due to rain, which led to Pakistan missing out on the final. India eventually emerged victorious by defeating Sri Lanka. While the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, remains the next major men’s ICC event, attention currently remains on how the Asia Cup’s schedule and venues will be affected by the evolving diplomatic situation.

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