LAHORE – Uncertainty continues to loom over India’s participation in the upcoming Asia Cup, but hopes have been revived after India and Pakistan were placed in the same group for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
The Asia Cup is likely to be held from September 12 to 28, with the UAE emerging as the probable host.
According to the sources, tensions in Pakistan-India relations have cast doubts over the tournament’s smooth conduct. In the 2023 edition, a hybrid model was implemented where India’s matches were hosted in Sri Lanka due to New Delhi’s refusal to play in Pakistan. The two countries have since agreed not to play on each other’s soil, opting instead for neutral venues — a model that was first applied to this year’s Champions Trophy.
The 2024 Asia Cup is scheduled to be hosted by India, but matches are expected to be played in the UAE between September 12 and 28. However, India has yet to formally confirm its participation to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Last year, Sony Pictures Network India secured media rights for all ACC events from 2024 to 2031 for a reported $170 million. These rights include all editions of the men’s and women’s Asia Cup, Under-19 Asia Cups, and Emerging Tournaments, making India’s presence crucial for broadcasting and commercial interests.
Recently, the rumors of an Indian boycott surfaced but were denied by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, when Sony released a promotional video for the Asia Cup, it featured only the captains of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — with Pakistan’s captain notably absent, raising eyebrows.
The sources revealed that the ICC placed India and Pakistan in the same group for the upcoming Women’s World Cup without any formal objection, suggesting that India is unlikely to skip the Asia Cup 2025. However, if India were to forfeit a match against Pakistan, the PCB could retaliate similarly in future tournaments. Such a move could have serious implications, especially for broadcasting deals, and replacing India with another team would be commercially unviable.
It may be mentioned here that the current chairman of the Asian Cricket Council is PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. The ACC had also planned to host the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from June 6 but the tournament was postponed due to bad weather.
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