The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has avoided the limelight and kept high-ranking officials off-camera ahead of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan encounter at the Asia Cup 2025. This is done by using an invisible boycott that expresses political sensitivity without actually calling off the game.
The decision follows the terror assault at Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians and worsened political ties with Pakistan. The incident raised public indignation and raised concerns about any interaction with Pakistan.
Social media users have been calling for boycotts ever since the Asia Cup schedule was announced. Rajeev Shukla, in his capacity as ACC, may be the only senior representative attending the Group A match in Dubai after the majority of senior BCCI executives reportedly chose not to go due to the criticism. However, officials like Rohan Desai, Arun Dhumal, Prabhtej Bhatia, and Devajit Saikia are expected to miss the match.
The board only approved the match after receiving government approval, according to a senior BCCI insider who told the media, and they were afraid of being singled out if they were captured on tape.
“After receiving government approval, we accepted the match. A BCCI official was quoted by Dainik Jagran as saying, “Attempts would be made to create an atmosphere against us if we come on camera during the match.”
Gauti’s advice is to not dwell on circumstances beyond your control: Ryan Ten Doeschate,
Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s fielding coach, discussed the delicate subject and emphasised following board and government instructions. The former cricket player even told the players what head coach Gautam Gambhir had to say.
It’s an extremely delicate matter. Players experience the public’s feelings and emotions. We have talked about this in our team meetings. Cricket is the reason the players are here. We’re doing as the government says. Our problem is that you keep politics and sports apart. I can appreciate the sentiment, but we are doing as the government and BCCI have instructed. The most annoying thing was knowing that this would occur. Gauti (head coach Gautam Gambhir) advises against dwelling on circumstances beyond your control. Focus on cricket is the message,” the former Netherlands cricket player told reporters on Saturday.
The talk surrounding the match has changed from pure sporting expectation to concerns about timing, optics, and national feeling. In the meantime, ticket sales and interest for this specific match have been lower than for previous India-Pakistan meetings.
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