Asia Cup 2025: India to Wear Black Armbands in Asia Cup Clash Against Pakistan

The match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for Sunday night in Dubai. Since the border tension escalated in May of this year, this will be the first game between the longstanding adversaries. According to reports, Suryakumar Yadav's Team India players would wear black armbands throughout the game as a way of expressing their sympathy for the victims of the Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 of this year.  

There is more to this group-stage match than just cricket. There have been concerns expressed over whether India and Pakistan should still play in competitions approved by the Asian Cricket Council and ICC in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the ensuing rise in military tensions. Overt fan protests are unlikely at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where the match is scheduled. On the field, though, the Indian team may express their silent protest by donning armbands or refusing to shake hands.

IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025:

A large number of Indians demanded that the September 14 India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match be boycotted. Following the incident that killed 26 civilians, they criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for continuing with the match. Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach for India, asserted that his team's players share the thoughts of others and are aware of their feelings. The government's new sports policy states that India will continue to play Pakistan in multilateral competitions like the Asia Cup and ICC events, but will no longer play them in bilateral matches.

The public's sentiment is well known to senior BCCI officials. The forthcoming match is more than just a group-stage match for the team and the board; it's a chance to send a message that reflects the feelings of the Indian people. This sentiment was echoed by Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, who acknowledged the occasion's sensitivity and significance off the cricket field.

IND vs PAK Playing XI:

India: Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson (wk), and Suryakumar Yadav (c)

Pakistan: Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, and Salman Agha (c)

Watch this space for more cricket news and updates.