Asia Cup: Pakistan-India match must go on, rules Indian SC

NEW DELHI: The Indian Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request for an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to cancel the India-Pakistan Asia Cup T20 match scheduled for September 14 in Dubai.

The Bench, comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi, dismissed the plea filed by four law students who argued that holding the match soon after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor would convey an inappropriate message.

During the brief hearing, Justice Maheshwari remarked, “The match is this Sunday? What can we do? Let it go ahead. The match should proceed.”

Despite the petitioners’ counsel requesting the plea be listed for consideration regardless of its merits, the Bench declined an urgent listing and affirmed that the match would take place as planned.

Asia Cup 2025: Pakistan-India match faces possible cancellation

The PIL argued that hosting a cricket match against Pakistan would undermine the morale of the Armed Forces and cause distress to families of martyrs and terror victims. It further stated that cricket should not take precedence over national security, citizens’ lives, or soldiers’ sacrifices.

With the Court’s decision, the highly anticipated India-Pakistan Asia Cup match will proceed as scheduled on Sunday in Dubai.

Pakistan-India matches remain the most anticipated contests in world cricket, drawing global audiences that often cross hundreds of millions of viewers.

Read more: Rain bestows South Africa with a win against England in Cardiff