Will India Play Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Asia Cup after Pahalgam Attack?
India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, scheduled for August 2025 with three ODIs and three T20Is, is under threat due to political tensions. Following attacks in Pahalgam and Bangladesh’s alleged support to Pakistan, India is likely to cancel the series. The Asia Cup 2025 is also uncertain and may be played in a hybrid model, if at all.
After the recent cross-border tensions involving Pakistan and now Bangladesh, Team India’s scheduled white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August 2025 is under serious threat. The tour was supposed to feature three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals, forming a key part of India’s cricket calendar. However, following the attacks in Pahalgam and Bangladesh’s reported diplomatic alignment with Pakistan, India is reconsidering its cricketing ties with its neighbour. According to a source quoted in the Times of India, there is a strong possibility that the tour may not go ahead, despite being initially confirmed.
This development also casts a shadow over the Asia Cup 2025, which was planned to follow the Bangladesh tour. With the strained political relations, particularly between India and Pakistan, the prospects of hosting the Asia Cup have significantly diminished. If held at all, the tournament is likely to follow a hybrid model, avoiding direct face-offs between the two arch-rivals.
No venue has been finalized yet for the Asia Cup, and the Indian government is reportedly firm in its stance on not participating in bilateral or multilateral events involving politically sensitive neighbours. As a result, India’s white-ball commitments in the subcontinent face considerable uncertainty, with broader geopolitical tensions influencing cricketing schedules.
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