India are set to open its Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on September 14, also in Dubai. The final group-stage fixture will be played against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi
Suryakumar Yadav, Salman Ali Agha (Pic: AFP)
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary has voiced his surprise over the decision to go ahead with the high-stakes India-Pakistan match in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, especially in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military response by Indian forces.
India are set to open its Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on September 14, also in Dubai. The final group-stage fixture will be played against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking on the political and emotional sensitivity of the fixture, Tiwary said he was 'shocked' to learn that the India-Pakistan match is still scheduled, despite heightened tensions between the two countries.
"I am a little surprised that this match is going to happen...After the Pahalgam attack, in which so many innocent civilians were killed, and then the war that followed, a lot of talk was going on that this time we will give a befitting reply. Despite this, after a few months, everything has been forgotten...I find it hard to believe that this match is happening, that the value of a human life can be zero. What do they want to achieve by playing with Pakistan?...The value of a human life should be more than sports...There is no question of me watching the match at all...," Tiwary told news agency ANI.
Team India for the Asia Cup 2025 was unveiled on Tuesday, with skipper Suryakumar leading the squad and Shubman Gill as his deputy, with several major names missing out. The squad was announced during a press conference attended by T20I skipper Suryakumar and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, which was held after a selection meeting which also featured the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia.
Some big misses in the top order in the main squad include Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, who had incredible IPL seasons this year for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Jaiswal is not in the main squad, but rather in the reserves group alongside all-rounder Washington Sundar, all-rounder Riyan Parag, pacer Prasidh Krishna and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel.
(With ANI inputs)
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