India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Friday that the team has stayed completely cricket-focused since the BCCI "aligned itself" with the government's insistence on playing the Asia Cup encounter against Pakistan, disregarding the political controversy surrounding it.
The traditional adversaries are to clash on Sunday, their first meeting since relations were heightened in May after India attacked terror facilities in Pakistan following 26 tourists killed in Pahalgam.
"Once BCCI announced they are with the government's decision, our eyes were always on the game. It's India vs Pakistan, and it will be a good game," Kotak said before India's practice session at the ICC Academy ground. "India vs Pakistan is always a tough game," he said.
Asked if the players would remain immune to the geopolitical tensions after the Kashmir terror attack, Kotak said, "Players are thinking about the ground and nothing else is on their minds."
Demands for boycotting cricketing relations with Pakistan grew after the Kashmir attack, which led to India conducting 'Operation Sindoor' on terror camps across the border.
As per a recently rolled out government policy, India will not engage in bilateral sports with Pakistan but will still encounter them at multilateral competitions like the Asia Cup or ICC-hosted affairs.
The spotlight has now squarely fallen on the high-profile Asia Cup match. The two nations have prepared differently, India having put their trust in Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy in the T20 format, while Pakistan has been criticized for omitting veteran giants Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in their T20 revamp plan.
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