The build-up to the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 has seen excitement and controversy. As the teams prepared for the face-off, on the eve of the match four law students, headed by Ms. Urvashi Jain, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India, seeking to cancel the match, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. The PIL stated that in light of the recent Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, to play Pakistan in this context would insult national dignity and seriously hurt the morale of both armed forces and families of the victims.
The Supreme Court bench, comprised of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi, found the case to be wholly without merit, and declined to hear the matter on an urgent basis. “It’s just a match, let it be,” the judges said. The Court noted that with a few days remaining before the match, there was little they could accomplish, and noted that an urgent calling was unwarranted.
This is not the first occasion when calls have been made for cricket ties with Pakistan to be severed. While bilateral series have been put on hold indefinitely, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that they are bound by government policy which states they can participate in multi-national tournaments, but they cannot participate in direct series matches when playing Pakistan.
BCCI officials have further noted that they could incur sanctions from continental or global governing bodies, such as the Asian Cricket Council or ICC, if they are not permitted to withdraw from participation in continental or global tournaments and events, at a cost to the players’ international careers.
