• Source:JND
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India vs Pakistan: After a politically-charged Asia Cup 2025 came to a close, with players from two top teams (India and Pakistan) going at each other with controversial gestures on and off the field. The tournament ended with India prevailing over Pakistan yet again with a 5-wicket win in Dubai. However, another drama ensued after ACC (Asian Cricket Council) President Mohsin Naqvi 'ran' away with the trophy after Team India denied taking the trophy from him.

Before the final, India also defeated Pakistan in the Group stage and Super Four stage. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Team India even refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts, expressing solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack along with the Indian Armed Forces.

Advising the ICC (International Cricket Council) not to host any more IND vs PAK games until the issue is resolved, former England captain Michael Atherton opined that the contests have become a proxy for broader tensions and propaganda.

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'If cricket was once the vehicle for diplomacy, it is now, clearly, a proxy for broader tensions and for propaganda. There is little justification, in any case, for a serious sport to arrange tournament fixtures to suit its economic needs, and now that the rivalry is being exploited in other ways, there is even less justification for it,' Atherton wrote in his column for The Times.

'For the next broadcast rights cycle, the fixture draw before ICC events should be transparent, and if the two teams do not meet every time, so be it,' he added.

Easy To Talk About All This: BCCI Official

As per a report by Dainik Jagran, a BCCI official stated there are no easy solutions, as sponsors and broadcasters will have a say on this as well.

'It's easy to talk about all this, but will sponsors and broadcasters agree to it? In today's situation, if any major team, not just India, withdraws from a tournament, it will be difficult to attract sponsors,' the official told Dainik Jagran.

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As per the revised policy of the Indian government, India and Pakistan are supposed to face-off only during multilateral tournaments like the World Cups, Champions Trophy, Asia Cup, etc.