By Deepti Verma

Copyright republicworld

New Delhi: As BCCI team prepares to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 14, controversy surrounds the fixture. The match is steeped in controversy, with boycott calls growing louder amid rising tensions between the two countries.Though prices of tickets for the Sunday match have been slashed in desperate attempt to sell them off, the tickets still remain unsold. Reason: Irked Indians feel playing with Pakistan soon after Operation Sindoor and a four-day war undermines the national sentiment. The boycott calls have peaked, coupled with unsold tickets and sponsor withdrawals.The social media has been flooded with messages to boycott the match and the latest to join the bandwagon are Army personnel.A Shaurya Chakra recipient, Major Pawan Kumar is hosting an X Space event on the day of the match in a bid to boycott BCCI and Asia Cup.Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon (retired) joined the chorus, requesting all his followers to attend the event. Tagging the BCCI, he questioned the officials highlighting innocent lives lost in Pahalgam and the sacrifice of soldiers in Kashmir.The announcement of the match in July, just months after Operation Sindoor, sparked uproar. Just days ahead of the match, social media has again blown up with hashtags like #BoycottIndvsPak, #BoycottBCCI and BoycottAsiaCup, with voices from all quarters, urging people to shun the game as a protest against Pakistan’s support for terrorism.The India-Pakistan match marks the first face-off between the two nations since India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this year.The terror attack in Pahalgam had claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists, triggering strong public outcry and prompting a decisive military operation from India. In the aftermath, the government reiterated its policy of suspending bilateral sporting and trade relations with Pakistan. The two nations now only face each other in multinational tournaments, such as the Asia Cup.A plea for urgent hearing into cancellation of the match was also denied by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court petition had highlighted serious concerns about India-Pakistan cricket relations. The petitioners argued that playing cricket with Pakistan sends the wrong message, especially after recent terror attacks like Pahalgam and ‘Operation Sindoor where Indian soldiers lost their lives. It argued that engaging in sports with a nation that shelters terrorism undermines the morale of the Armed Forces and causes anguish to the families of martyrs and victims of terrorism. However, the court refused an urgent hearing on the matter.The ControversyIt isn’t the first time an India-Pakistan match has faced calls for cancellation or a boycott. The BCCI, however, has maintained that it is bound by the Central Government’s policy, which permits participation in multinational tournaments but restricts bilateral series with Pakistan.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently said that boycotting multi-national tournaments could lead to sanctions from international bodies like the Asian Cricket Council or the ICC, which would be detrimental to the careers of Indian players.The government’s policy aims to balance national sentiment with the broader interests of Indian sports and athletes on the global stage.