India Vs Pakistan: Former Sports Minister Calls Marquee Asia Cup Clash A 'Compulsion'

Former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur called Sunday's India vs Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup 2025 "a compulsion" even as he reiterated that the two sides will not play in bilateral matches. Suryakumar Yadav-led India will play Salman Ali Agha's Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, September 14 in what will be the second match for both sides at the Asia Cup 2025. Many social media users are calling for the boycott of the match. However, Thakur's statement seemed to suggest that the clash will go ahead as scheduled.

"When multinational tournaments are organised by ACC (Asian Cricket Council) or ICC (International Cricket Council), it becomes a compulsion, a necessity for nations to participate," Thakur said while talking to media on the eve of the marquee clash. "If they don't do that, they will be eliminated from the tournament, they will have to forfeit the match and the other team will get the points."

Thakur who was the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports from 2021 to 2024 also clarified that matches in international tournaments do not mean that bilateral clashes will resume. "But India doesn't play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan," he said. "We have made this decision for years that India won't play bilateral tournaments with Pakistan until Pakistan stops terrorist attacks on India."

A day before Thakur's statement, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal had also said the same thing.

"The government has made it very clear that we will not play bilaterals and only feature against Pakistan in multilateral tournaments. We are only following the government's advice," Dhumal had stated on Friday.

However, legendary off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said that India should not be playing Pakistan until relations between the two nations improve.

"Everyone has their own way of thinking and understanding, but I feel that until the relations between the two countries improve, cricket and business should not be there as well.” Harbhajan told media during a Society magazine event. “But then, that is my thought. If the government says the match can happen, it should happen, but the relations between the two countries should be better," he added.

Harbhajan was a member of the India Champions team that boycotted their match against Pakistan Champions in the recently-held World Championship of Legends.