“Will Not Play With Any of Our Hostile Nations,” BCCI Comes Clean Over India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup Controversy

BCCI's Devajit Saikia also warned that if Team India boycotts matches against certain countries, it could lead to sanctions from both the ACC and ICC.

“Will Not Play With Any of Our Hostile Nations,” BCCI Comes Clean Over India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup Controversy

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia cleared the air surrounding the India-Pakistan Asia Cup fixture. (via Hindustan Times)

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) responded to criticism surrounding its decision to play against Pakistan, at the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup. Secretary Devajit Saikia clarified the board’s stance that it would play against the arch-rivals only in multinational cricketing events, and not in bilateral series.

The 2025 Asia Cup is just two days away, and preparations are underway for the T20 format tournament, which will serve as a crucial warmup for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue have been placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, hosts UAE and Oman, and the headline clash will be the India-Pakistan group stage fixture, scheduled to take place on September 14, in Dubai.

The India-Pakistan fixture has faced significant opposition, which stems from the strained bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries, which were nearly at the point of a full-scale conflict earlier this year. India had launched an offensive against terrorist outposts in Pakistan in May 2025, in retaliation of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed 26 innocent lives. 

The BCCI has also come under fire, with many former cricketers urging for the India-Pakistan match to be boycotted. However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia cleared the air, reiterating that the board has been simply following the Indian government’s advice.

Saikia highlighted that the new directive, issued in August, which allows Indian players and teams to compete against hostile countries only in multinational sporting events, while continuing to ban any form of bilateral engagement. He told ANI:

As far as the BCCI’s view is concerned, we have to follow whatever the central government formalizes. There are no restrictions imposed by the government whether we play any of the countries which are not on good terms with India in any multinational tournament.

Furthermore, Saikia clarified that the Indian cricket team is required to participate in the Asia Cup as it is a major multinational sporting event, regardless of which teams are involved, and added that a similar approach would be taken for all ICC events.

Devajit Saikia also explained the broader implications, in case the Indian team decides to boycott playing against certain countries at such events, as it could possibly lead to sanctions, while providing an example of Olympian Neeraj Chopra. 

So far as bilateral is concerned, we are not going to play with any of our hostile countries. If India boycotts any of the multinational tournaments hosted by the ACC or the ICC, and India is not playing with a particular country, then there may be sanctions.

Devajit Saikia firmly stated that the Indian government’s policy has been developed in the national interest and is a balanced approach. He emphasized that the new policy was also designed to ensure that Indian players remain a part of the global sporting landscape in the future.

BCCI Appoints Shreyas Iyer as India ‘A’ Captain for Australia Series, Following Asia Cup Snub

The BCCI announced the India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming multi-day red-ball series against Australia ‘A’, starting September 16. Shreyas Iyer, after being left out of the 15-member team for the 2025 Asia Cup, has been appointed skipper of the India ‘A’ side, to be played in Lucknow.

BCCI appoints Shreyas Iyer
BCCI announced the India ‘A’ squad for the upcoming series against Australia ‘A’, with Shreyas Iyer as skipper. (via India Today)

The BCCI has handed a huge leadership responsibility to the 30-year-old Mumbai batter, and it also marks his return to India’s red-ball setup after more than a year. Iyer had last played in a Test match for India against England in early 2024. He will be joined by several other Indian red-ball players, some of whom were part of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, against England.

Dhruv Jurel has been named vice-captain, while Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy have also been picked. Prominent domestic performers like Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur, Tanush Kotian, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Brar and Ayush Badoni have been called up, while the BCCI also confirmed that KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj will be included for the second match.

The first match is scheduled from September 16 to September 19, with the second match taking place from September 23 to September 26. Following the two red-ball contests, the India ‘A’ side will also face Australia ‘A’ in three unofficial One-Day matches, starting on September 30 in Kanpur.

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