India will face Pakistan in their next Asia Cup 2025 match on September 14. Ahead of this highly anticipated clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Indian Cricket Team’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, has addressed calls for a boycott.
On social media, many fans have urged Indian players to skip the game, citing the Pahalgam terror attack in April and demanding a halt to all cricketing ties with Pakistan. Some former cricketers have also supported the idea of not playing against Pakistan in the tournament.
Asia Cup 2025, When the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the Asia Cup schedule in July, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faced criticism from fans for including the India-Pakistan fixture. However, the recently introduced sports policy by the Indian government permits players to compete against Pakistan in multinational tournaments, allowing the match to go ahead as planned.
Asia Cup 2025 “Once we are here to play, players are focused on cricket,” says Sitanshu Kotak
Speaking to the media during India’s practice session ahead of their clash with Pakistan, head coach Sitanshu Kotak, emphasized that the decision to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 aligns with both the BCCI and the Indian government. He added that the team’s priority remains on cricket.
“Once we are here to play, players are focused on playing cricket. That’s our main focus. The BCCI is aligned with the government on this, and we are here to prepare and perform. India-Pakistan matches are always highly competitive, so our attention is entirely on that,” Kotak said.
Asia Cup 2025: India and Pakistan are highly likely to face each other again in the Super Four stage, and potentially could meet a third time if both teams reach the final. Both sides are in Group A, along with Oman and the UAE.
India began the tournament strongly, defeating the UAE by nine wickets in their opening match, while Pakistan is set to play Oman in their first game.
