After the recent Pahalgam attacks, questions are once again being raised about the future of India-Pakistan cricket matches. Some media reports suggested that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) not to place India and Pakistan in the same group in upcoming tournaments. However, this claim appears to be more speculation than fact.
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has already made a statement saying the board will act only based on the Indian government’s guidance. Another senior BCCI official told Cricbuzz that he had no knowledge of any such request being made to the ICC. The BCCI is aware of the country’s current emotional state, but no formal steps have been taken to separate India and Pakistan in cricket tournaments.
At the moment, there is no immediate ICC event on the calendar. The next major tournament will be the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, scheduled for September to October 2025 in India. Pakistan has already qualified for this competition, which will follow a round-robin format where all eight participating teams play against each other. That means there won’t be any group-based matches, so India and Pakistan will face each other anyway.
Teams that have qualified include India, Pakistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Pakistan’s matches are expected to be played at neutral venues, a decision that the BCCI, as host, will finalize later.
India and Pakistan Cricket Ties: ICC and ACC in Focus
Before the Women’s World Cup begins, cricket fans will be looking forward to the Asia Cup for men. This tournament is also scheduled for September, and while the BCCI is the designated host, it will again be held at a neutral location. As per Cricbuzz’s report, the decision to move the tournament outside India has already been taken, though the exact venue, most likely Dubai or Sri Lanka, has not been announced.
The tournament format and team groupings matter more this time. That’s because the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has sold media rights for the Asia Cup based on the guarantee of at least two India-Pakistan matches per edition. These deals, totaling around $170 million for four editions, have been structured with India-Pakistan games as the main attraction.
For example, the last Asia Cup in 2023 featured both teams in the same group. They played twice—once in the league stage and again in the Super Four. The second game ended with no result due to rain. Pakistan didn’t reach the final, but India went on to win the trophy after defeating Sri Lanka.
For the 2025 edition, tournament organizers were initially planning to hold the draw in May. However, with rising political tension, there’s a chance that the scheduled announcement may be delayed. Many believe that the final decision on match fixtures, including whether India and Pakistan will share a group again, will depend heavily on how the situation between the two countries unfolds over the coming months.
The ACC is particularly interested in preserving India-Pakistan matches because of the massive viewership and sponsorship they attract. But, political realities could force adjustments to groupings or venues—even if it means affecting the original media agreements.
Right now, there is no confirmed plan to keep India and Pakistan in separate groups for any ICC or ACC tournaments. However, due to the emotional and political sensitivity of the matter, organizers are leaving room to adapt if required.
India-Pakistan matches remain the biggest spectacle in world cricket. Whether it’s the World Cup, the Asia Cup, or a bilateral series, these contests draw massive global attention. The cricketing bodies understand their value, but they must also weigh safety, diplomacy, and national sentiment when making future decisions.
One thing is clear: fans across the world still hope to see these two giants of Asian cricket face each other, not in news reports, but on the field.
Also Read: No More India-Pakistan Bilateral Series, Says Rajeev Shukla After Pahalgam Terror Attack
