Asia Cup: ‘I am okay…the sport must go on,’ Sourav Ganguly on India, Pakistan drawn in same group
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Asia Cup: ‘I am okay…the sport must go on,’ Sourav Ganguly on India, Pakistan drawn in same group")
'The sport must go on,’ Ganguly on IND, PAK drawn in same Asia Cup group Photograph: (AFP)
The ACC also announced the final Asia Cup schedule, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the UAE, Oman and Hong Kong.
Former BCCI president and Indian captain Sourav Ganguly says he is okay with India and Pakistan being drawn in the same group for the upcoming 2025 Men’s Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE. Months after India boycotted Pakistan across all fronts following their retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack (in April), where Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 innocent lives in broad daylight, all tourists from India and abroad, the respective cricketing boards of the two countries agreed to play cricket at a neutral venue. Ganguly, a prominent name in Indian cricket, shared his opinion on the arch-rivals being part of Group A in the Asia Cup.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed India’s participation in the eight-team tournament despite several reports of them (India) willing to opt out to honour solidarity with the departed souls and the government’s step to boycott Pakistan. The ACC also announced the final Asia Cup schedule, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the UAE, Oman and Hong Kong.
Ganguly, speaking on ANI, said he is okay with both teams being slated in the same group, adding that although he mourned those who lost their lives in the deadliest attack on Indian soil since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, Ganguly said the sports must continue.
"I am okay. The sport must go on. At the same time, Pahalgam should not happen, but the sport must go on. Terrorism must not happen; it needs to be stopped. India took a strong stance towards terrorism... Sport needs to be played,” Ganguly said of India-Pakistan in the same group for the 2025 Asia Cup.
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2025 Asia Cup
The tournament begins on September 9, with all eight teams divided into two groups.
While India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman are in Group A, the other group consists of the remaining four teams. The top two sides from each group will advance to the next round (Super Four), where the top two teams will then qualify for the final.
In the India-Pakistan case, their scheduled group game is on September 14, before they next meet up a week later on September 21. Should both teams stay at the top by the end of the Super Four stage, India and Pakistan will face off in the final for the first time in tournament history.
