The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering pulling out of the Asia Cup 2025 because of concerns about Pakistan’s role in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which is currently led by a Pakistani official. This withdrawal would impact both the men’s Asia Cup 2025 and the women’s emerging Asia Cup happening next month in Sri Lanka. Reports say the BCCI has already informed the ACC of their decision.
A BCCI source told the Indian Express, “The Indian team can’t play in a tournament run by an ACC chair who is a Pakistani minister. That’s how the nation feels. We’ve communicated our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events is uncertain. We are in touch with the Indian government about this.”
Without India, the Asia Cup 2025 might struggle to move forward. Most international broadcasters are from India, and if the Indian team doesn’t participate, it could be hard for the ACC to find sponsors. This decision by the BCCI isn’t surprising, considering that India halted ties with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack.
This isn’t the first time the Asia Cup has been impacted by tensions between India and Pakistan. The last edition in 2023 had to use a hybrid model because the BCCI didn’t go to Pakistan. The same situation occurred with the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India also refused to play in Pakistan, leading to another hybrid model. The BCCI and PCB agreed that all ICC and ACC events in India or Pakistan would use this hybrid format. If the Asia Cup were to happen, it would likely need to be hosted this way as per their agreement.