Asia Cup: IPL chairman, who directed fans' evacuation during Operation Sindoor, breaks silence on IND-PAK tie

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, who directed fans to evacuate the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala (during an IPL 2025 tie between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on May 8) at a time when India had also launched Operation Sindoor, broke the silence on the controversial India vs Pakistan 2025 Asia Cup game. Boycott India vs Pakistan has been trending on social media, with countless fans, even an IPL team and several celebrities coming out voicing against watching or covering this match, in Dubai this Sunday (Sep 14), showing solidarity with those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

The deadliest yet heinous attack on Indian soil since the 2019 Pulwama bombing saw Pakistani-based terrorists kill 26 innocent lives in broad daylight in India’s Kashmir, prompting India to launch (Operation Sindoor) precise air strikes across terror camps in PoK and Pakistan, neutralising several terrorists. That, however, led to a war-like situation between the countries before both mutually agreed to a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan agreeing to play against each other in this continental tournament raised eyebrows worldwide, with the BCCI facing mad social media backlash.

The Indian government also clarified its stance on sporting engagement with Pakistan, claiming that Indian teams and athletes can participate in international events featuring Pakistani counterparts, but will not play against them in any bilateral competition or those hosted in Pakistan.

Speaking on the same lines, Arun Dhumal said, “I wish the Indian team all the best for the Asia Cup. The government has clarified its position that when it comes to bilateral, we are not going to play against Pakistan. But when you have such an ACC trophy or ICC trophy, we will have to participate in that. So we'll go by what the government advises us to do.”

What happened during the Dharamsala game?

A PBKS-DC game in Dharamsala was cut short and abandoned immediately following Dhumal’s orders, who advised fans to evacuate the HPCA stadium owing to Pakistan’s retaliation to India’s Operation Sindoor. A power failure, however, was deemed the original reason for that unexpected halt earlier.

The BCCI indefinitely suspended the IPL season midway, with all foreign players urged to depart for their respective countries immediately. However, following a ceasefire a couple of days later, IPL 2025 resumed a week after, concluding on June 3 in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, India, who won their first tie against the venue hosts, the UAE, will square off against Pakistan, who will face Oman in their tournament opener on Friday (Sep 12), at the Dubai International Stadium.