The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stayed out of the spotlight and kept its office-bearers off-camera ahead of the blockbuster India-Pakistan encounter at the Asia Cup 2025, utilising an invisible boycott that signals political sensitivity without cancelling the match outright.
The decision comes after worsening political relations with Pakistan as a result of the terror assault near Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians. The act sparked national outrage and raised concerns about future relations with Pakistan.
Since the Asia Cup schedule was announced, there have been demands for boycotts on social media. Faced with that backlash, most senior BCCI officials are reportedly refusing to travel to Dubai for the Group A match, with Rajeev Shukla, in his ACC role, possibly the lone senior representative. While officials such as Devajit Saikia, Arun Dhumal, Prabhtej Bhatia, and Rohan Desai are expected to miss the match.
A senior BCCI insider told the media that the board only agreed to the match after receiving government approval and feared being targeted if caught on camera.
“We agreed to the match after getting permission from the government. If we come on camera during the match, then attempts would be made to create an atmosphere against us,” Dainik Jagran quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Gauti’s message is to not focus on things not in your control: Ryan ten Doeschate
India’s fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate spoke about the sensitivity and stressed adherence to government and board directives. The former cricketer even revealed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s message to the players.
“It is a very sensitive issue. Players feel the emotion and sentiments of the public. This is what we have discussed in the team meetings. Players are here to play cricket. We are following government instructions. Our thing is you separate sports and politics. I understand the sentiment, but we are following directive of BCCI and government. Knowing this will happen was the most frustrating part. Gauti’s (head coach Gautam Gambhir) message is to not focus on things not in your control. Message is to focus on cricket,” the former Netherlands cricketer told reporters Saturday.
Meanwhile, the ticket sales and excitement for this particular fixture have been less than past India-Pakistan encounters, and the conversation around the match has shifted from pure sporting anticipation to questions about optics, timing, and national sentiment.
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