The Indian Sports Ministry has confirmed India’s participation in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The tournament will be held in the UAE from September 9. India will face Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The ministry announced a new policy on international sports ties with Pakistan. The policy makes it clear that there will be no bilateral matches between the two countries. But India will continue to play in multi-nation tournaments. This means Suryakumar Yadav and his team will play in the Asia Cup as planned.
A ministry source said, “We will not allow bilateral contests. But we will not stop India from playing in multilateral events like the Asia Cup. This follows the Olympic Charter.”
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The debate about India’s participation began after the Asia Cup schedule was released last month. Tensions rose after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. At one point, reports suggested that India might even withdraw, which could have affected the whole tournament. But the Asian Cricket Council confirmed the event in July.
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Recently, another controversy came up when the Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions team refused to play against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends. They even skipped the semifinal. The issue again surfaced in Mumbai this week when captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about the September 14 clash. The team’s media manager stopped the question and asked reporters to focus on squad matters.
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The ministry also explained what will happen if multi-nation events are hosted in Pakistan. In 2023, India did not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Instead, Sri Lanka hosted India’s matches under a hybrid model. For the Champions Trophy 2025, the ICC has now decided that India’s matches will be held in Dubai. Both boards have agreed on this model till 2027.
Still, the ministry did not give a clear answer on non-cricket sports. A source said, “We will decide case by case. But we cannot risk the safety of our athletes.”
India’s policy remains firm. No bilateral matches. But multilateral tournaments will continue.
