Uncertainty Hangs Over Asia Cup 2025 with India and Sri Lanka Refusal to Participate in Dhaka Meeting

The Asia Cup cricket event finds itself back in a tough and uncertain position. A recent report states that both India and Sri Lanka have declined an invite for a meeting set in Dhaka by the Asian Cricket Council. This meeting was to be held on July 24 and was aimed at discussing critical preparations for the Asia Cup 2025. India will be hosting the Asia Cup from September 5 next year. Yet, increasing political tension and pending issues of the past are now threatening the question of whether the tournament will be held as scheduled.

Although India and Sri Lanka are not physically attending the meeting, the ACC has confirmed that the meeting would proceed as scheduled. A senior Pakistani official with a link to the ACC provided this update and indicated that the arrangements for the meeting are already made. The ACC has provided member nations with fifteen days to arrange their travel or participation. For countries that cannot make it physically to Dhaka, such as India and Sri Lanka, there is a provision to do it virtually. Nevertheless, the choice of two power cricketing nations to forego participation in the meeting physically has only served to cast more doubt on the Asia Cup 2025.

Part of the reason behind India avoiding this meeting in Dhaka is due to the prevailing political turmoil in Bangladesh. Even though the BCCI has officially announced that international obligations are the reason behind the delay of their planned Bangladesh tour from this August to September next year, the actual cause is said to be increasing political tension between New Delhi and Dhaka. Political issues have impacted cricket tournaments here for the first time. The ages-old rivalry and political differences between India and Pakistan have already marred numerous past editions of the Asia Cup.

In 2023, the Asia Cup was hosted in a hybrid mode following similar problems. India did not wish to travel to Pakistan as their government refused permission. As a result, India’s matches were held in Sri Lanka while the rest of the games took place in Pakistan. This arrangement helped the ACC avoid cancellation at the time. But the current situation has once again exposed the fragile nature of cricket tournaments in Asia where politics often interfere with sports.

Sources report that the ACC has sent a letter to the BCCI inquiring if they still wish to host the 2025 Asia Cup. There has been no official response so far. India will likely recommend shifting the event to a neutral venue like Dubai. This follows after an initial agreement between Pakistan and India. In the past, when India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy because of restrictions from the government, the PCB acceded to moving India's matches to Dubai. But it came with a condition that Pakistan also decided not to send its team to India for any multi-country tournament until 2027.

This continuous rift still looms large over Asia Cup tournaments. The Asia Cup has also been affected by political problems in the past. India had declined to participate in 1986 due to tensions with Sri Lanka. In 1990, Pakistan also skipped the Asia Cup held by India. These incidents indicate that political relations tend to determine if teams play or miss out on tournaments in the region. And sadly, the 2025 one also appears to be going the same way.

Bangladesh is all set to host a T20I tri-series involving Pakistan from July 20 to 24 in Dhaka. Due to this series, the ACC had also expected that it was the time when they should also hold the official Asia Cup meeting in Dhaka. Authorities feel it was logical to take the conference to a nation that has not organized such a gathering in a long while. But the no-show by India and Sri Lanka has again raised issues of unity and cooperation among ACC members.

For spectators who have been looking forward to witnessing great Asian teams face each other in the Asia Cup, this continued saga is disheartening. The Asia Cup is the only cricket tournament where teams such as India Pakistan Sri Lanka Bangladesh and Afghanistan gather to compete for each other. But the persistent political intervention keeps sidetracking sports. Cricket enthusiasts in Asia and across the globe are left waiting for clarity while cricket boards navigate through political pressures.

India being the original host of the Asia Cup 2025 is now in a tricky situation. On the one hand, pressure to have the event proceed as scheduled is mounting. On the other hand, political and diplomatic issues are complicating matters. The ACC continues to wait for India's word on their ultimate decision to host the tournament. If India chooses to shift the tournament to a neutral ground such as Dubai then all the teams could have an equal opportunity to play without any political hindrances. But that choice has to be made soon if the tournament has to be scheduled in time.

Ultimately the Asia Cup 2025 again proves how sports and politics are intertwined in this region. Even though it is a big event for Asian cricket enthusiasts the future of the Asia Cup is ambiguous. India's refusal to visit Dhaka along with the absence of Sri Lanka is not only a missed event but a reflection of underlying issues. Unless the cricket boards are able to keep politics out of the game the Asia Cup will continue to struggle to keep its significance and appeal.