BCCI's Devajit Saikia Refutes Reports of India Pulling Out of ACC Tournaments

In response to recent rumours that Team India may skip the forthcoming ACC competitions, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Devajit Saikia, released an official statement. According to Saikia, there have been no talks about pulling out of ACC events at any level.

The BCCI has informed the Asian Cricket Council that it intends to withdraw from two forthcoming competitions, including the Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup, according to a story in The Indian Express. India is the official host of the Men's Asia Cup, which is set for September.

Since this morning, the reports have been making the rounds. Devajit Saikia, the secretary of the BCCI, has underlined that neither a decision nor a conversation of any kind has been made over the team's participation in the competitions. Additionally, Saikia refuted any allegations that he discussed the matter with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), stating that the board is presently preoccupied with the current Indian Premier League (IPL) and the forthcoming five-match Test series against England. 

Devajit Saikia's Official Statement:

Sportstar quotes Saikia saying, “Such news is devoid of any truth as till now, BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding the ensuing ACC events, let alone writing anything to the ACC (Asian Cricket Council). At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men's and women's. It may be said that the BCCI, as and when any discussion on any ACC events takes place and any important decision is reached, the same will be announced."

Whether the Asia Cup and the next second edition of the Emerging Women's Asia Cup in Sri Lanka would go according to plan has been a source of anxiety since the Indian military began Operation Sindoor. In an important step toward the 2026 T20 World Cup, the Asia Cup 2025 will be contested in a T20 format. The five countries that were supposed to compete were Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India. In this edition, it is anticipated that India will defend their championship.

In 2025, the Indian board decided against sending a team to Pakistan for political and security reasons. All of India's matches will be hosted by Sri Lanka, which was selected as the co-host. This approach was used during the 2025 Champions Trophy, as all of India's matches were held in Dubai even though Pakistan was designated as the official host.

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