Asia Cup 2025: India–Pakistan Clash Echoes in Himachal Assembly, Demand Raised for Cancellation

Shimla, August 20 – The upcoming Asia Cup Cricket 2025, scheduled to be held in the UAE next month, has already sparked controversy in India. On September 14, arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to face each other, but calls for cancelling the high-voltage encounter have begun. The matter resonated in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, where Congress MLA Malendra Rajan strongly opposed the match and demanded its cancellation.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Rajan said that while the BCCI may have agreed to the India–Pakistan fixture, the decision deeply hurts national sentiments. “Playing cricket with Pakistan is an insult to the sacrifice of our martyrs who laid down their lives defending the country,” he asserted, adding that such matches dishonor the supreme sacrifice of soldiers and go against the spirit of the nation.

The MLA urged the state government to formally write to the Centre and the BCCI, condemning the scheduled match and pressing for its cancellation. “Engaging in cricket with Pakistan is not only disrespectful to martyrs but also against the emotions of every Indian,” Rajan said emphatically.

Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania assured the House that the matter would be forwarded to the state government for further action.

The debate comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. In April this year, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam worsened bilateral relations, following which India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror camps across the border. Despite this, the BCCI’s decision to permit the India–Pakistan Asia Cup clash has triggered nationwide protests.