BCCI Steps In After Journalist’s Question on IND vs PAK Asia Cup Row During Agarkar, Suryakumar Presser
India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad was announced by Ajit Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav, but controversy flared as a Pakistan-related question was cut off at the press conference
Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav unveiled India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025 on Tuesday, but the announcement press conference ended on an awkward note.
A reporter asked about India facing Pakistan in the tournament despite heightened tensions between the two nations. Before Agarkar or Yadav could reply, the BCCI media manager intervened and stopped the question, swiftly moving on.
“Wait, just wait. If you have a question regarding the team selection, you can ask that,” the media manager said before moving ahead to the next question.
Calls have intensified in India to avoid cricketing ties with Pakistan since the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, followed by Operation Sindoor targeting militant camps in Pakistan and PoK. Several MPs have raised the matter in Parliament, but the BCCI has remained silent, pointing neither to a boycott nor to any policy shift.
The Asia Cup format, however, keeps India and Pakistan on a collision course. The two sides are due to meet in the group stage on September 14 in Dubai, with the possibility of further meetings in the Super 4s (September 21) and the final.
The backdrop mirrors recent events in the World Championship of Legends 2025, where India–Pakistan fixtures were cancelled after social media backlash and Indian players’ withdrawals. This time, however, Asia Cup fixtures remain in place, with broadcasters already promoting the marquee clash.
