India-Pakistan match on the cards for Asia Cup 2025 despite Pahalgam tragedy - Report

India vs Pakistan clash on the cards for Asia Cup 2025 - Report. (PTI Photo)

IND vs PAK: Following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, uncertainty loomed over the fate of the 2025 Asia Cup. Tensions between India and Pakistan further fueled speculation, with growing calls—especially from within the BCCI—to boycott matches involving Pakistan in both ACC and ICC events.

Despite the rising concerns, a report by Cricbuzz suggests that the organisers remain optimistic about proceeding with the tournament. A formal decision is expected to be made in the coming week, with September still being targeted as the likely window for the competition.

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The schedule for the six-team tournament is also likely to get released by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in the first week of July. This time, the tournament will be played in the T20 format.

If everything remains well, the tournament will feature Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and the UAE (frontrunner to host the event).

According to a Cricbuzz report, discussions are currently underway regarding the possibility of staging the 2025 Asia Cup in a hybrid model. While India is officially listed as the host for this edition, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had previously agreed that if either India or Pakistan were set to host the tournament, it would instead be played at a neutral venue due to the ongoing political tensions between the two nations. This arrangement is now back in focus as organisers explore options to ensure the tournament goes ahead smoothly.

Earlier in May, there were reports that BCCI will pull out of the Asia Cup to boycott Pakistan from global event after the terror attack in Kashmir. Matter escalated when India launched attack on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed to Hindustan Times that this matter has not event discussed yet refuting all the reports.

"The Asia Cup matter or any other ACC event issue has not come up for discussion at any level. Hence, any news or report on that is purely speculative and imaginary," he told Hindustan Times.