Following the horrific Pahalgam Terror Attack, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is said to have made a clear decision. Cricbuzz reported that the BCCI has reached out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and asked them not to keep India and Pakistan in the same group in international tournaments in the future. The move is symbolic of the intensifying mood in India after the attack that was carried out in the Kashmir valley.
India-Pakistan Fixtures May Be Cut Down in ICC Competitions
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The latest face-off between the two arch-rivals took place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where Rohit Sharma’s India won a comfortable six-wicket match against Pakistan. But with tensions running high following the Pahalgam Terror Attack, BCCI is said to be opposed to early-stage fixtures between the two countries in future ICC competitions.
Though there has been no official word yet from the BCCI, sources assert that the board is unshakeable in its determination, but awaits directions from the Indian government.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla again asserted that the board will follow whatever the central government decides about sporting ties with Pakistan.
Impact on Future ICC and Asia Cup Tournaments
ICC Women’s ODI World Cup
Both India and Pakistan shall take part in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, with all eight eligible teams set to compete in the round-robin format. According to a prior agreement between BCCI, ICC, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), though, Pakistan shall feature in no fixtures in India. The host country is yet to settle on an impartial venue for those matches.
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ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
The next major men’s ICC event is the T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. It remains to be seen whether India and Pakistan will clash in the tournament or be kept apart in the group stages, as the BCCI has now officially raised concerns with the ICC.
Asia Cup 2025 Uncertainty Amid BCCI’s New Stance
One of the more pressing problems for BCCI is the Asia Cup 2025, to be hosted by India in September. Earlier indications were that the tournament would take place at a neutral location, with Dubai and Sri Lanka mentioned as possible choices.
Nonetheless, a new report by Cricbuzz cites that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) sold four Asia Cup edition media rights valued at $170 million. These were deals agreed on under the informal condition that there should be at least two India-Pakistan matches for every edition, with an additional possible one if the two teams made it to the final. Just the 2025 edition was pegged to cost $38 million.
This commercial element complicates any decision to limit or refuse India-Pakistan encounters in the tournament. In the most recent Asia Cup, held in 2023, there were two India-Pakistan games—one in the league and one in the Super Four. The second match had rain interference, and Pakistan did not qualify for the final, which India comfortably won against Sri Lanka.
The Pahalgam Terror Attack has overshadowed the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan. The BCCI’s preemptive wrote to the ICC reflects the dangers found in geopolitics that affect international sport.
With economic and political pressures, it will not be possible to come to any conclusions about whether, when, and how many official international competitive matches between India and Pakistan will occur at ICC and ACC tournaments.
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