Defending champions India pull out of 2025 Asia Cup

There’s a big question mark over this year’s Men’s Asia Cup in September with a report claiming that the Indian cricket team has withdrawn from the biennial continental tournament. The BCCI has reportedly told the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which is headed by Pakistan minister Mohsin Naqvi, that it’s pulling out its teams from the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka slated to be held in June and the Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

 

As per a report in The Indian Express, the decision has been taken following the escalated hostilities between India and Pakistan. India successfully conducted a military operation, dubbed Operation Sindoor, targeting multiple terror locations in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan in response to a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month that resulted in the death of 26 civilians.

“The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC whose chief is a Pakistan minister," the publication quoted a BCCI source as saying. “That’s the sentiment of the nation. We have verbally communicated to ACC about our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events too is on hold. We are in constant touch with the Indian government."

This year’s Asia Cup was set to be hosted by India and played in a T20 format given the next year’s T20 World Cup. The tournament was last held in 2023 when India defeated Sri Lanka to become the champions.

 

Considering the majority of sponsors of the Asia Cup are from India, BCCI’s decision could very well result in the tournament being cancelled. Besides India, the competition was also set to feature Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The previous edition of Asia Cup was hosted by Pakistan but BCCI’s refusal to send its team across the border resulted in the tournament being played in Hybrid Model. All of India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka including the final.

 

Similarly, the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year also employed the Hybrid Model with India playing all their matches in Dubai.