The upcoming Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, may not feature Pakistan due to rising geopolitical tensions following the Pahalgam attacks. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has voiced his concerns, stating that he doesn’t see Pakistan taking part in the tournament given the current situation.
Although the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the BCCI had agreed on a hybrid model where Pakistan would play their matches outside India, Gavaskar believes recent developments could derail that arrangement.
Speaking to Sports Today, Gavaskar said, “BCCI’s stance has always been what the Government of India tells them to do. So I don’t think it would be any different when it comes to the Asia Cup. India and Sri Lanka are the hosts for this particular edition of the Asia Cup, so it depends on whether things have changed at all, but if things haven’t changed, I can’t see Pakistan now being part of the Asia Cup.”
Gavaskar also hinted at a possible shake-up in the structure of the tournament, even suggesting that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) could be disbanded altogether.
“I don’t know how it will be. It might be that the Asian Cricket Council could well be disbanded, and you could just have a three-nation or a four-nation tournament, with maybe Hong Kong or UAE being invited. That could well happen. But I think it is dependent on what happens in the next couple of months.”
He further added that India might consider hosting a separate tournament if the political standoff continues.
“It could well happen that India decides to pull out of the Asian Cricket Council. We can say, look, we’re going to have a four-nation tournament or a five-nation tournament with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan. If the tournament is held in Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, but India remains the main host, then it can still go ahead.”
The Asia Cup is expected to be played in October 2025, though the final dates are yet to be officially confirmed.
