Another major regional event, the widely followed Asia Cup cricket tournament, opens on September 14, 2025. Fans are clamoring at the excitement that is coming, particularly the hopeful slate of matchups — including a historic rivalry renewed, India vs. Pakistan. Both countries are cricket heavyweights with storied cricketing traditions, but never have the two rivals played each other in an Asia Cup final. This brings a thrilling new dynamic to the tournament.
Historically, India and Pakistan have regularly faced each other in various tournaments organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The upcoming tournament could see them clash multiple times between September 14 and 21, depending on how the group stage unfolds. The previous Asia Cup meeting between these two cricketing heavyweights was marred by rain. As such, the game was called off in the last subcontinent-based tournament two editions ago in Sri Lanka.
A History of Conflict and Competition
The bitter cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan has roots outside of the field. The two have waged four wars and lived under persistent hostilities mostly because of the contested Kashmir territory. Yet, incredibly, their last Test match came in 2007. They’ve not taken part in a bilateral series for nearly 13 years. This long hiatus from direct competition brings uncertainty to the future of cricketing relations between the two countries.
Pakistan’s withdrawal from the Asia Cup in 1990-91 amid unrest in India-administered Kashmir exemplifies how political issues can impact sports. The Asia Cup’s subsequent edition in 1993 was on the verge of being cancelled. Tensions between the two formerly amicable neighboring nations had risen dramatically.
Even amid these obstacles, it’s clear that the love for cricket is powerful and sizzling. Sri Lanka holds the remarkable Asia Cup record for having qualified for the final on 13 occasions. With six Grand Award trophy wins, they wear their competitive spirit in bold fashion. As a result, supporters have been consummately tuning in worldwide, particularly to see if India and Pakistan can at last meet in an unmistakable final. This much-promised matchup has never yet occurred since our tournament started.
Commercial Interests at Play
Asia Cup fever takes over the Subcontinent! More and more you are hearing worries about the challenges that commercialization poses towards scheduling matters and unfavorable matchups from a competitive standpoint. Sami Ul Hasan, a cricket analyst and former player, says the game has changed, so now “all that matters is to get more viewership and revenue.”
“It’s all about maximising eyeballs and tournament revenue.” – Sami Ul Hasan
Just think the recent ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 game of India vs Pakistan broke all records with 19.5 Billion viewing minutes. Their encounter in the Asia Cup 2023 generated more than thirty-two billion minutes of television viewing time! While these viewership numbers are astonishing, they illustrate the massive commercial opportunity these matches continue to hold.
As with home/away fixtures, Hasan notes that making alterations in match conditions/rules/venues to favour specific fixtures weakens the integrity of the sport.
“Changing them to accommodate certain fixtures gives out a message that everything is about money and commercialisation of that single fixture.” – Hasan
He further elaborates on how organizers prioritize ensuring that India and Pakistan face each other in international tournaments, regardless of rankings or other factors.
“When the ICC plans a global event, organisers do not consider rankings or any other factors. It’s all about making sure India and Pakistan play against each other at least once.” – Sami Ul Hasan
The Future of Bilateral Relations
Though challenging, the prospect to resume bilaterals between India and Pakistan is still a delicate topic. In August, India released their latest sports policy. This policy prohibits their teams from competing in bilateral matches with Pakistan but allows them to play in international competitions like the Asia Cup against them. While addressing the broader political reality, this policy recognizes cricket’s unifying power—which leads to our final insight.
Hasan argues that India’s reluctance, as a result of political motives, to match Pakistan is the biggest blow. This hesitance would be counterproductive to India’s mission of becoming a global sporting superpower.
“For India to say it doesn’t want to play against Pakistan due to political reasons would weaken its case as a potential global sporting hub.” – Hasan
All cricket lovers are extremely excited about the Asia cup 2025. They are hoping that the tournament might create a spirit of sporting excellence and help tackle more complex geopolitical issues.
