Boycott calls are growing in India, with many questioning the BCCI for going ahead with the match while the nation is still mourning the Pahalgam attack and dealing with the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. For many, it feels like the worst possible moment for an India-Pakistan clash.
The Indian government has allowed the India vs Pakistan clash to go ahead despite the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. Yet for families who lost loved ones in Pahalgam, for soldiers on the border, cricket between the two arch-rivals falls beyond any iota of logic.
The announcement of the fixture in July, just weeks after Operation Sindoor, itself drew widespread outrage. With the match just a day away, hashtags like #BoycottIndvsPak are trending again. From actors to veterans, journalists, and even former Indian cricketers, many have echoed the sentiment.
So why does this match go ahead? The answer is simple: money. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) know that nothing sells like India-Pakistan. Television audiences soar, advertising slots are snapped up at premium rates, and sponsors line up for visibility.
At the 2025 Champions Trophy, their clash generated a staggering 26 billion minutes of watch time on Indian television-more than even their World Cup meeting in 2023. For cricket boards, such numbers are irresistible. Media rights for just three ICC tournaments are valued at around Rs 1,400 crore, with each member nation assured of hundreds of crores in revenue sums unimaginable without India, and certainly not without an India-Pakistan fixture. The ICC has even admitted in the past to deliberately “arranging” groups so the two countries face each other.
The Indian government has also tried to draw a line. In August, it announced that India would not play bilateral matches against Pakistan, nor send athletes there, nor host Pakistani teams. However, it allowed encounters in multi-national tournaments such as the Asia Cup or the World Cup.
That is the policy the BCCI says it is following. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal reiterated this on Friday: “The government has made it very clear that we will not play bilaterals and only feature against Pakistan in multilateral tournaments. We are only following the government’s advice,” he said at the Playcom Business of Sports Conclave.
Even the Supreme Court was approached with a petition seeking to cancel the Asia Cup tie. The plea argued that cricket should not override national interest and demanded that the BCCI be brought under the Ministry of Sports through the new National Sports Governance Act, 2025. The court, however, refused to urgently list the matter.
While India can opt out of bilateral matches with Pakistan, it cannot prevent their participation in multilateral events governed by international federations. Doing so would be seen as political interference, violating international sporting norms.
So, India will walk out against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. Broadcasters will rake in profits, the ICC and ACC will share revenues, and millions of fans worldwide will tune in.
But in the end, It forces an uncomfortable question: in the clash between profit and patriotism, which side has truly won?
