Team India to pull out of Asia Cup 2025; BCCI takes strong stand against Pakistan
Synopsis
BCCI has pulled out of the Men's Asia Cup 2025 citing political tensions and security concerns. India's absence could heavily impact viewership and sponsorship, especially for Pakistan, as India-Pakistan matches are major revenue drivers.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has reportedly informed the Asian Cricket Council about their decision to withdraw from the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled to take place in September. The continental tournament is slated to take place on September 17, with India as the host of the event. The upcoming Men’s Asia Cup will take place in T20 format, keeping in mind next year’s T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by India.
The last edition of the Asia Cup took place in a hybrid model as the BCCI refused to send Team India to Pakistan, who was the host of the tournament, due to security concerns. The Men in Blue played all their fixtures in Sri Lanka and clinched their eighth Asia Cup title. Similar arrangements were made ahead of the Champions Trophy, where Team India played all their matches, including the semifinal and final, in Dubai after the BCCI decided not to send the India squad to Pakistan due to political tensions and security concerns.
Despite India being the host of the upcoming Asia Cup, the BCCI has decided to withdraw from the tournament conducted by the Asian Cricket Council.
Why did the BCCI decide to withdraw from the Asia Cup 2025?
As per the report by The Indian Express, a source close to BCCI stated that Team India cannot play ACC tournaments when the president of the board is Pakistan minister and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, highlighting the sentiment of the nation after the Pahalgam terror attack and cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. India are also likely to withdraw from the Emerging Women’s Asia Cup.
“The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC whose chief is a Pakistan minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation.” a BCCI source said.
“We have verbally communicated to ACC about our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events too is on hold. We are in constant touch with the Indian government,” a source added.
Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor as a response to Pahalgam terror attack and targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan. Pakistan launched missiles into India, which was successfully thwarted by Indian defence forces. Recently, India and Pakistan agreed to ceasefire after a week of cross-border conflict. After the Pahalgam terror attack, killing 26 Indian tournaments and two foreign nationals by a group of terrorists, there were calls for boycott of all cricketing ties and tournaments involving Pakistan.
Since most of the Asia Cup sponsors are from India, the BCCI’s decision could lead to the tournament being cancelled. Apart from India, the teams set to play were Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
How India’s withdrawal from Asia Cup will affect Pakistan?
India’s withdrawal from the Asia Cup could impact Pakistan financially, given the rivalry between two teams draws the highest viewership and sponsorship interests, especially from Indian broadcasters and advertisers, potentially leading to significant revenue loss and threatening the tournament’s viability.
Cricket being the only sport in Pakistan that consistently attracts massive domestic and international attention and India's absence from the Asia Cup 2025 could affect their efforts to boost viewership and attract sponsorships.
Additionally, the absence of the Men in Blue not only diminishes the tournament’s star appeal but also affects broadcasting rights deals, which are largely dependent on India’s massive cricket fanbase. This could result in sponsors reconsidering their investments, putting the financial stability of the event at risk.