Sanjay Dwivedi, whose son lost his life in the Pahalgam terror attack, has strongly objected to the India-Pakistan clash scheduled for September 14 in Dubai as part of the T20 Asia Cup.
He appealed to the government to intervene, recalling the April assault that left 26 people dead and pointing to New Delhi’s earlier position of cutting off all ties with Islamabad.
"On 22nd April 2025, Pakistan killed 26 innocent people of our country. The government of India had said that it would have no relations with Pakistan and that blood and water cannot flow together. Since the day I learned about the India vs Pakistan match, not just I but the entire country has been opposing it, saying there should be no relations, political or in the sports field, with Pakistan. I oppose this and urge the government to take action in this matter, keeping public sentiment in mind," Dwivedi told ANI.
The Indian government has recently changed its policy regarding sporting interactions with Pakistan. According to the new rules, Indian players can participate in multinational competitions featuring Pakistan but not bilateral matches.
Team India has already made a strong beginning to the Asia Cup, scoring a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over the UAE in their first match. Following their match against Pakistan, they will conclude the group stage against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
The Super 4 stage, involving the top teams from each pool, starts from September 20 and continues till September 26. If India tops Group A, all their games during this stage will take place in Dubai. A second position would translate to hosting one game in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the two in Dubai. The last encounter is scheduled on September 28 in Dubai.
Barring the unexpected, the two nations can look forward to facing each other twice more in the tournament. With Oman and UAE both losing their opening matches, the way seems clear for the two cricket powerhouses to sail through and potentially revive the intensity of their rivalry in the Super 4s—and possibly a third time in the final.
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