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Amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, several media outlets claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to avoid placing India and Pakistan in the same group for upcoming global cricket tournaments. However, these reports appear to be unfounded.
Contrary to the circulating speculation, a senior BCCI official told Cricbuzz that no such formal request had been made to the ICC. “There is no validity to that supposition,” the official stated, adding that he was unaware of any such move. The BCCI has acknowledged the current public sentiment and confirmed that it will follow the Indian government’s directive in any matter involving bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla had earlier emphasized that decisions involving cricketing relations with Pakistan will strictly adhere to the government’s stance, especially after the attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.
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No Men’s ICC Event in the Immediate Future
Importantly, no men’s ICC global event is immediately scheduled. The closest ICC tournament on the calendar is the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, which will be hosted by India in September-October. That tournament will feature eight teams — India, Pakistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka — and will follow a round-robin format, not a group-based one. As such, the notion of India and Pakistan being placed in the same group is moot.
Pakistan to Play at Neutral Venues in India
According to pre-tournament discussions, if Pakistan participates in the Women’s World Cup 2025 in India, their matches will be hosted at neutral venues. While the BCCI, as the host, will decide on the final venues, a decision is yet to be made.
Men’s Asia Cup 2025 and the India-Pakistan Dynamic
Before the Women’s World Cup, however, comes the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, which is expected to be held in September. The BCCI will host the tournament, but it will be played in a neutral country, with Sri Lanka and the UAE emerging as potential venues. This format mirrors the 2023 Asia Cup, where India played all its matches in Sri Lanka despite Pakistan being the official host.
While the venue remains undecided, the larger concern for broadcasters and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is whether India and Pakistan will be drawn into the same group. The Asia Cup’s media rights — worth a whopping $170 million for four years — were sold under the assumption that each tournament would guarantee at least two high-stakes India-Pakistan clashes, with a potential third meeting if both sides reach the final.
The 2025 edition alone is valued at approximately $38 million, making the India-Pakistan matchups critical from a commercial standpoint. Any changes in group structure or match scheduling due to geopolitical tensions could have serious financial implications for rights holders and broadcasters.
Final Decision Still Pending
According to Cricbuzz, the Asia Cup draw — initially scheduled for May — may now be delayed, with officials closely monitoring political developments before locking in fixtures and groupings.
With tensions between the two neighboring nations still simmering, the final decision on whether India and Pakistan will share a group in the Asia Cup or upcoming ICC events will ultimately depend on how the situation unfolds in the coming months.
