Beyond Cricket: How India vs Pakistan became a geopolitical chess in 2025. Sensible news

Cricket between India and Pakistan has never been ordinary. Since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, bilateral cricket has been frozen, which is banned for the ICC and Asian Cricket Council tournaments. Every meeting, therefore, carries the weight of history and politics.

In 2025, the stuff was still heavy. Barely months before the Asia Cup, India faced the initiative terrorist attack. Against that background, the idea of ​​playing Pakistan was obliged to promote debate. For general fans, the question was whether cricket could continue as always when the trust between the two countries was absent. For politicians, it became a test of continuity: If New Delhi says that he wants to separate Islamabad, why is cricket allowed?

Thus, before bowling a single ball, the Asia Cup was already more than a game phenomenon. It became a platform on which questions of national honor, political will and symbolism were obliged to play out.

Protest at home: Why was India Pakistan playing?

Furious criticism came from within India, not from abroad. Opposition parties and public voices accused the government of sending mixed hints, allowing cricket to separate Pakistan.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh added his voice, arguing that cricket should take a backseat for the national interest: “The soldier who is standing on the border, whose family does not get to see it often, their sacrifice is very big. Compared to this, it is a very small case – we can play a cricket match. The nation always comes.”

Backlash spread on social media, where the boycott of the hashtag was trended. At the Dubai International Stadium, it was also seen in the stand: for the first time in the years, an India-Pakistan Limited over match was not a sell-out, with vacant seats in the group stage.

Even in the cricket franchise was weighed. Punjab Kings promoted conflict in the social media post, which avoids the naming of Pakistan as a rival of India, a step widely reads as a silent solidarity with a boycott call.

It all underlines the same point: Indo-Pak cricket is never a “just one game”. For many people, even participation requires justification.

Explanation of India: Why a walkover was not an option

The political storm at home forced New Delhi to make its position. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports issued a detailed statement establishing guidelines for sports relations with Pakistan.

The line was unreasonable: “As far as bilateral sports events are concerned in each other’s country, Indian teams will not be participated in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we allow Pakistani teams to play in India.” In short, there will be no tour, no friendly series, and there will be no revival of bilateral cricket.

At the same time, the government made a difference. “In relation to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are directed by the practices of international sports bodies and our own players. Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will participate in international programs, including Pakistan’s team or players. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multi -party hostels hosted by India”

The message was clear. India will not legalize Pakistan through bilateral cricket, but neither will it hand over a walkover to Islamabad in a multilateral tournament.

Group Stage: The Handshek that has never happened

The struggle of the First India-Pakistan in the group stage set a tone for the rest of the tournament. In the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav avoided joining hands with Salman Ali Aga of Pakistan. After the game, the Indian team also left without exchange of customizer etiquette.

Pakistan coach Mike Hessen called Snow “disappointing”, saying that handshakes were part of respect for the game. The PCB proceeded, protesting with the Indian Cricket Council and claimed that the match referee Andy Pycroft had instructed the players not to shake hands. Pakistani media accused the ICC of giving Indian pressure, which was trying to frame the incident externally.

The BCCI dismissed the story, making it clear that the decision came from India’s favor, in accordance with government guidance. There will not be a symbolic gestures of warmth with Pakistan even in the formal location of the toss.

India underlined their stance on the field, winning the match comfortably. Captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicated victory to the armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Super Char: Returned and Backlash

In the second meeting in the Super Four Stage, the stress was seen directly into the player’s behavior. Pakistan’s fast bowler Haris Rauf, while digging an aircraft by digging an aircraft, celebrated an Indian dismissal by digging an aircraft in India’s military operations. In another moment, he pointed a “6–0” in terms of Pakistan’s baseless claims, in which he dropped six Indian fighter jets during the four-day scuffle after Operation Sindoor.

Sahibzada Farhan proceeded, celebrating his half -century, with a gesture, an attack was similar to the rifle firing. He hit six with Exer Patel’s bowling in the 10th over, which led to a milestone for himself. It was when he kept his bat like a gun, shot in the air. Farhan later defended the celebration when asked: “I don’t care how people will take it.”

ICC took notice. Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee, Farhan received an official warning, and India’s own captain Suryakumar Yadav was shared by his match fee for a separate code-off-section violation. But the dispute did not stop on the border rope.

During the innings break, Pakistani TV channel Eri News hosted a panel with anchor Wasim Badami. One of the panelists made comments, which shocked the audience. First, he asked the opportunities of Pakistan seriously, asked: “Ladke jaan mare toh ko we are we match live sects?” (“Do you think Pakistan can win if the players give their everything?”). He then moved forward, adding: “I think (“Or they could open a fire in the stadium to end the match, because a loss is certain.”)

Last: Anthem, gestures, and a trophy refuses

The Asia Cup final in Dubai was considered the climax of the tournament. Instead, it became its most controversial chapter.

Build-up: a picture that has never happened

Even before the first ball, the mood was tense. Traditional pre-final photo shoots with the trophy, usually a formality, Suryakumar Yadav refused to pose with Salman Ali Aga and Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s internal minister, who headed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). With this, the match already made a charge backdrop.

Anthem

In the presentation of the national anthem, the cameras caught Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf Chatting during India’s anthem. The footage quickly went viral while criticizing Indian social media.

Gesture

On the field, India responded in its own way. After Clean-Bauling Haris Rauf, Jasprit Bumrah pointed a needle “aircraft-incident”, widely seen as a fast answer to the celebration of the first jet-style of Rauf in Super Four Clash.

Trophy deadlock

India’s five-wicket win should have ended at the festival, but the post-match presentation turned into a 90-minute turmoil. Indian players clarified that they would not accept the Asia Cup from Naqvi, who publicly took anti -India positions and even pressurized the ICC to charge Suryakumar to dedicate the victory to the victims of the armed forces and the Pahgam attack.

According to BCCI officials, the team had already informed that it was ready to accept the cup from any other distinguished person on the podium – such as Dubai Sports City President Khalid Al Zaroni – but not from Naqvi.

When India refused, Naqvi refused to step aside. The result was paralysis: Pakistan team stayed in their dressing room for the first hour, delayed presentation, and the broadcasters were handed over only compulsory sponsor awards. Presenter Simon Dol finally told the audience: “I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council that the Indian cricket team will not collect their awards tonight. So it concludes the presentation after the match.”

The trophy itself was moved away by ACC employees, causing fans to panic. Later, the Indian players returned to the field with their families for the informal ceremony.

Back to India, BCCI confirmed its stance. Secretary Devjit Saikia told reporters, “We have decided not to take the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the ACC President, which is one of the main leaders of Pakistan. But this does not mean that he will take the trophy away. We hope that it will return to us with a medal as soon as possible.”

Salman Ali Aga of Pakistan defended his president and said: “Look, he is the president of the ACC. He is well within his rights to overcome the trophy.”

PM Modi’s tweet

When India picked up the Asia Cup, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message expressed the wider mood: “#Operationsindoor in the field of sports. The result is the same – India wins! Congratulations to our cricketers.”

For Indians, it was the perfect framing: whether on the battlefield or playground, India became strong.

The Asia Cup 2025 ended as a champion with India, but also once again revealed that cricket is never a game between the two countries. This is a geopolitical chess, and this time, India controlled the game from the first step to the last.