“When it comes to bilateral, we are not going to play against Pakistan” - IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal

IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal confirms India won’t play bilateral cricket with Pakistan, citing government policy. ACC/ICC events remain the only exception. Hooks into geopolitical tension, policy clarity, and tournament relevance.

By Jack 13 Sep 2025 in Cricket

New Update

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman, Arun Dhumal, has wished the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, all the best for the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 campaign. Notably, India defeated the UAE by nine wickets in the team’s campaign opener on Wednesday, September 10, in Dubai.

It’s worth noting that India’s next encounter is against its arch-rival Pakistan on Sunday, September 14. Speaking on the same matter, Dhumal stated that the Indian team will follow the Indian government’s order to play against the Men In Green in multi-team tournaments.

"I wish the Indian team all the best for the Asia Cup. The government has clarified its position that when it comes to bilateral, we are not going to play against Pakistan. But when you have such an ACC trophy or ICC trophy, we will have to participate in that. So we'll go by what the government advises us to do,” Dhumal said.

However, there is widespread criticism of the Indian team and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their participation in the Asia Cup 2025 against Pakistan. Importantly, a total of eight teams are divided into two groups.

Group A has teams, namely India, Oman, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates, while Group B has Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka.

India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel.

Pakistan’s squad for Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

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