Cricket diplomacy collapses as India-Pakistan rivalry deepens
Cricket once served as a rare bridge in strained India-Pakistan relations, but the 2025 Asia Cup showed how far that role has unraveled
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) – Cricket once served as a rare bridge in strained India-Pakistan relations, but the 2025 Asia Cup showed how far that role has unraveled.
The final on September 28 ended with India refusing to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister and Asian Cricket Council chair.
In response, officials removed the trophy and medals from the podium, leaving the Indian team to celebrate with a symbolic “shadow trophy.”
The incident came weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that “Operation Sindoor,” a military campaign against Pakistan during their four-day May conflict, was ongoing. Following India’s Asia Cup win, he again framed victory in the language of war, turning cricket into an extension of political rivalry.
Tensions around the tournament had already been simmering.
Indian players declined to shake hands with Pakistani counterparts in multiple matches, reflecting wider calls within India to boycott the event altogether.
Criticism also targeted Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for appearing cordial with Naqvi and Pakistan’s skipper at a pre-tournament press event.
The Asia Cup controversy unfolded against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in bilateral ties. In April, 26 civilians were killed in an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan.
The crisis escalated into missile and drone strikes in May, the most serious confrontation between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades. Though a ceasefire was reached, both sides claimed victory and hardened their narratives.
The clash on the cricket field echoed this political hostility.
Sporting ties have long suffered: India last toured Pakistan in 2006, and since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, bilateral cricket has been almost non-existent except for brief encounters at multiteam tournaments.
Even then, gestures of sportsmanship that once softened relations have eroded.
Observers note that earlier generations of players built camaraderie through regular series and tours, something the current squads have lacked. Combined with domestic political pressures in India, visible hostility on the field has become normalized.
Cricket previously helped manage crises, including moments after nuclear brinkmanship in the 1990s.
Today, it has instead become a tool of nationalist posturing. With Modi securing a third term in office, analysts suggest the use of cricket as a political weapon is likely to continue, leaving little hope for a return to its role as a channel for diplomacy.
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