Ahead of the blockbuster India-Pakistan fixture at the Asia Cup 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stayed out of the spotlight and kept top office-bearers off-camera, employing an invisible boycott that gestures political sensitivity without cancelling the match outright.
The decision comes after the worsening political relations with Pakistan, following the terror attack near Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. The incident triggered national anger and increased questions about any engagement with Pakistan.
Since the Asia Cup schedule was confirmed, calls for boycotts have been made on social media. Facing that backlash, most senior BCCI officials have reportedly decided not to travel to Dubai for the Group A clash, with Rajeev Shukla, in his ACC role, may be the lone senior representative. While officials such as Devajit Saikia, Arun Dhumal, Prabhtej Bhatia, and Rohan Desai are set to skip the fixture. A senior BCCI source told the media that the board had only agreed to the match after government clearance and feared being targeted if seen on camera.
“We agreed to the match after getting permission from the government. If we come on camera during the match, then attempts would be made to create an atmosphere against us,” Dainik Jagran quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Gauti’s message is to not focus on things not in your control: Ryan ten Doeschate
India’s fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke about the sensitivity and stressed adherence to government and board directives. The former cricketer even revealed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s message to the players.
“It is a very sensitive issue. Players feel the emotion and sentiments of the public. This is what we have discussed in the team meetings. Players are here to play cricket. We are following government instructions. Our thing is you separate sports and politics. I understand the sentiment, but we are following directive of BCCI and government. Knowing this will happen was the most frustrating part. Gauti’s (head coach Gautam Gambhir) message is to not focus on things not in your control. Message is to focus on cricket,” the former Netherlands cricketer told reporters Saturday.
Meanwhile, the ticket sales and excitement for this particular fixture have been less than past India-Pakistan encounters, and the conversation around the match has shifted from pure sporting anticipation to questions about optics, timing, and national sentiment.
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