The Indian Sports Ministry has clarified that the national cricket team will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Asia Cup next month since it is a multi-lateral event, but it has firmly ruled out the resumption of bilateral encounters with Pakistan. According to Indian news agency PTI, the ministry has introduced a new policy that directly impacts sporting engagements between the two neighbours, with a particular emphasis on cricket.
A senior ministry official explained that the policy restricts Indian athletes from traveling to Pakistan for bilateral events and also bars Pakistani athletes from competing in India under similar circumstances. The directive has come into effect immediately, further cementing the decade-long freeze on bilateral sporting ties.
However, the official noted that in cases of multi-lateral tournaments hosted in Pakistan, participation by Indian teams would be assessed on a case-by-case basis before a final decision is made.
Political tensions between the two countries have already prevented India from touring Pakistan for bilateral cricket since 2008. The last bilateral series between the two sides was played in 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India. Since then, the arch-rivals have only met in ICC and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events such as the World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the Asia Cup.
India last played in Pakistan during the 2008 Asia Cup, while Pakistan has in recent years successfully hosted major cricketing nations after gradually emerging from isolation following the 2009 Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan team.
This year’s Asia Cup will be staged in the United Arab Emirates, with the much-anticipated Pakistan-India clash scheduled for September 14. The tournament, beginning on September 9 with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong, will adopt the T20 format, serving as a vital preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will start its campaign against Oman on September 12 and then play its final group-stage match against the UAE on September 17.
Depending on results, cricket fans could witness multiple high-voltage encounters between the two rivals, with the possibility of meetings in the Super Four stage and even the final. In total, the tournament may set up to three Pakistan-India clashes, ensuring that the cricketing rivalry continues on neutral grounds despite the absence of bilateral ties.
