BCCI Refuses to Participate in Asia Cup 2025 Under ACC’s Pakistani Chairman

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the Indian cricket team will not take part in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is being organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) under the leadership of Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi.

The BCCI had earlier withdrawn the Indian women’s team from the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, set to be held in June, after notifying the ACC. Now, the board has also pulled out of the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, scheduled for September. This tournament was initially planned to be hosted by India.

The competition involves eight teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.

A BCCI official told Indian media, “The Indian team cannot participate in a tournament organized by the ACC, which is currently headed by a Pakistani minister. This reflects the national sentiment. We have verbally informed the ACC about our withdrawal from the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our participation in future ACC events remains uncertain. We are regularly consulting with the Indian government.”

India’s decision has placed the future of the Asia Cup in doubt, as BCCI officials argue the tournament would lose relevance without an India-Pakistan match.

In 2023, India had refused to play the Asia Cup in Pakistan, resulting in Sri Lanka being selected as a neutral venue.

Similarly, the ICC Champions Trophy also faced uncertainty due to India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, leading to an agreement for India-Pakistan matches to be played in Dubai.

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