India’s Sports Ministry has officially confirmed the national cricket team’s participation in the upcoming Asia Cup, including their highly anticipated match against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai.
The ministry announced a comprehensive new policy Thursday governing India’s sporting interactions with Pakistan. Under these guidelines, bilateral competitions between the two countries remain prohibited, but participation in multilateral tournaments will continue without restriction.
“India’s approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country,” the ministry stated in its policy document.
The new framework explicitly bars Indian teams from competing in Pakistan and prevents Pakistani teams from playing on Indian soil for bilateral events. However, tournaments involving multiple nations, such as the Asia Cup scheduled for September 9-17 in the UAE, will proceed as normal.
“We will not stop the Indian cricket team from playing in the Asia Cup as it is multilateral,” a ministry source explained to PTI. “But Pakistan will not be allowed on Indian soil for bilateral competitions. We will abide by the Olympic Charter for multilateral events.”
The clarification ends weeks of speculation about India’s participation following the Asia Cup schedule announcement last month. Concerns had intensified after the April terror attack in Pahalgam further deteriorated relations between the neighboring countries.
Uncertainty around India’s commitment to the tournament peaked when the Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions withdrew from matches against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends, including a semifinal clash.
The situation gained additional attention during a Mumbai press conference Tuesday when captain Suryakumar Yadav was questioned about the September 14 fixture. Team officials quickly redirected the discussion to focus solely on squad selection matters.
With the policy now finalized, Suryakumar Yadav’s team will face Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium as part of their Group A fixtures in the continental championship.
