Why Did Former India Skipper Slammed BCCI Over IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 Showdown And What Did He Say?

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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed the view that India should not face Pakistan in the upcoming T20 Asia Cup 2025 if the two countries are not engaged in bilateral series. The schedule for the Asia Cup, announced on July 26, shows that the two neighboring nations, who recently experienced border conflicts earlier this year, are set to compete against each other on September 14.

“I always say that everything should happen, or if it does not happen, then it should not happen at all. If you're not playing bilateral matches, then you shouldn't play international events too  that's what I believe,” Azharuddin told the Times of India.

Ind Vs Pak

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series in over a decade, yet they continue to meet in ICC and ACC tournaments. The upcoming Asia Cup could feature up to three encounters between these arch-rivals.

When asked about the Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions withdrawing from their group stage match against Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2025, Azharuddin chose not to comment extensively on the matter, noting that the WCL is a private event without involvement from the ICC or BCCI.

“This is a matter for the board and the government,” he stated.
“The veterans' league is not official, it's not sanctioned by the ICC or the BCCI. It’s conducted privately. But the Asia Cup is a tournament governed by the ACC,” added the 62-year-old.

Regarding recent clashes between India and Pakistan in T20 and ODI formats, their last ICC encounter was at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 held in Dubai, UAE. India, playing all their matches in Dubai, successfully reclaimed the trophy. During the tournament, Pakistan faced India but lost, with Virat Kohli scoring an unbeaten century. Pakistan exited the tournament without a win. In the T20 format, their most recent meeting was at the T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, USA. India defeated Pakistan in a low-scoring match and went on to win the trophy after a 17-year gap.

Asia Cup 2025 Groups:

Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman

Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong

Asia Cup Schedule

Asia Cup 2025 schedule

Match No Teams Date
1. Afghanistan vs Hong Kong Sept 9
 2. India vs UAE Sept 10
3.  Bangladesh vs Hong Kong Sept 11
4. Pakistan vs Oman Sept 12
5. Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Sept 13
6. India vs Pakistan Sept 14
7. UAE vs Oman Sept 15
8. Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong Sept 15
9. Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Sept 16
10. Pakistan vs UAE Sept 17
11. Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Sept 18
12. India vs Oman Sept 19
13. B1 vs B2 Sept 20
14. A1 vs A2 Sept 23
15. A2 vs B1 Sept 24
16. A1 vs B2 Sept 25
17. A2 vs B2 Sept 26
18. A1 vs B1 Sept 27
19. Final Sept 28