India Possibly Playing Pakistan in Asia Cup This Year Upsets Fans on Social Media – “Cancel This Crap!”

The last time India and Pakistan faced each was in the 2025 Champions Trophy group stages, where the former emerged victorious by six wickets.

India Possibly Playing Pakistan in Asia Cup This Year Upsets Fans on Social Media – “Cancel This Crap!”

India and Pakistan might face off on Spetember 7, at the 2025 Asia Cup. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

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Despite the uncertainty surrounding the 2025 Asia Cup, rumors are rife that an India-Pakistan clash this summer is well up on the cards. The prospect of the clash between the two arch-rivals, scheduled for September 7, 2025, has reportedly left Indian cricket fans in agony.

The 2025 Asia Cup has faced considerable hurdles, since the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India. It triggered a significant military and diplomatic stand-off between India and Pakistan, pushing both countries close to an all-out conflict in May, this year. India’s unannounced military action, followed by subsequent retaliation from Pakistan, briefly put the two nations on the brink of war.

While the military standoff might have ended, a volatile mood still persists among Indians regarding their neighbor. It has led to widespread demands for boycotting Pakistan in all international spheres, primarily in cricket, which remains the sub-continent’s most popular sport. Notably, the two nations have not engaged in a bilateral cricket series for over a decade, with the last one occurring in 2012.

The BCCI however, dismissed rumors, suggesting that it requested the ICC to not put India and Pakistan in the same group in major cricketing events. The board also confirmed that India has not withdrawn from the 2025 Asia Cup, making way for an imminent decision on the tournament’s future. An Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting is scheduled for July 24 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where participating nations are expected to finalize the schedule and the venue for the Asia Cup.

Reports indicate that BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have declined to attend the upcoming meeting in Dhaka. Despite their absence, the meeting is expected to continue amid strong rumors that India and Pakistan will be grouped together. A recent Sony Sports advertisement of the Asia Cup, featuring both the Indian and Pakistani skippers, confirmed the rumors, that has been poorly received by Indian cricket fans.

The recent ad also suggested a date for the start of the Asia Cup, supposedly September 2025. It was originally set to be played in India, featuring India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and UAE, all playing each other in the T20I format. It will be interesting to see whether the tournament follows this initial plan, with matches to be played from September 5 to September 21. India and Pakistan might then face each other on September 7.

Fans Angrily React to the Prospect of Asia Cup India-Pakistan Clash Despite Recent Tensions

Indian cricket fans and social media users angrily reacted to the prospect of an India-Pakistan clash at the 2025 Asia Cup, despite recent cross-border tensions between the two countries. Fans slammed the BCCI for going ahead with the fixture, noting its disregard for Indian sentiments. 

India Pakistan Asia Cup fans
Fans have been left angered over the prospect of an India-Pakistan match at the 2025 Asia Cup. (via NDTV Sports)

Several fans shared their reactions, with some of them asserting that Pakistan should be boycotted from ICC events, and urged the BCCI against normalization. A few others speculated that the initial rumors about the cancellation of the tournament were a hoax, and a part of the Indian cricket board’s plans to popularize it. Some fans labeled the BCCI as ‘shameless’ and a ‘traitor’, alleging a lack of patriotic duty.

Despite the uproar, it is worth noting that a significant section of fans expressed their excitement at the probability of an India-Pakistan fixture in the Asia Cup as well.