India and Pakistan have squared off in many multi-national events over the last decade or so, despite putting a stop to bilateral cricket against each other. But the Asia Cup 2025 group meeting between the two teams this Sunday is different from previous encounters on a few levels. The recent military conflicts, triggered after the Pahalgam terror attack, between the two countries have divided opinions about whether the two teams should continue playing cricket against each other, even in multi-team events.
Some have been boycotting the match, even criticising the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian players for agreeing to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. The ‘boycott chatter’ around the match has seemingly infiltrated the Indian dressing room too, with the mood in the camp being ‘sombre’, according to NDTV sources in Dubai.
With the fixture taking place at the Dubai International Stadium, sloganeering or such acts by fans aren’t expected, but some ‘symbolic protests’ by the members of the Indian team could be witnessed once the contest starts.
The symbolic protests could be in the form of handshake snubs, black armbands, or other possible avenues.
The mood among cricket lovers is well known to even the top BCCI officials. Hence, the board and its players could decide to use the Asia Cup match as a platform to send a message to the entire world about the emotions that every single Indian is carrying for Pakistan.
Even India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate, who attended the pre-match press conference on Saturday, had admitted that the entire camp is aware of the public sentiments about the match.
“We obviously are aware of the sentiments and the strong feelings. And Gauti’s (Gambhir’s nickname) message has just been very professional, about not worrying about things that are not in our control,” Ten Doeschate said in the press conference.
“I have no doubt the players share the compassion and feeling of the vast majority of the Indian public.”