No bilaterals, but Pakistan-India set for Asia Cup: Indian ministry

The Indian cricket team will not be stopped from playing the Asia Cup next month as it is a multi-lateral engagement, India’s Sports Ministry said on Thursday, but ruled out the continuation of any bilateral encounter.

The ministry unveiled the new “unprecedented” policy related to India's international engagements with emphasis on Pakistan, Indian news agency PTI reported.

A senior ministry official said that the policy, which restricts Indian athletes from visiting Pakistan and also prevents athletes from the neighbouring country from coming to India for bilateral events, has come into force with immediate effect.

When asked about Indian teams travelling to Pakistan for multi-lateral tournaments, the official said such cases would be reviewed before any decision is taken.

For more than 10 years, India's government has prohibited the national cricket team from travelling to Pakistan for bilateral events due to the political tensions between the neighbours.

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan will lock horns in the Asia Cup on September 14, set to be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The two sides only meet in ICC multi-national events like ODI and T20 World Cups, with the last bilateral series held when Pakistan toured India in 2012-13.

India last toured Pakistan to feature in the 2008 Asia Cup and have not played a bilateral series across the border for 18 years.

In the last few years, Pakistan has hosted the world's top teams after improving security, emerging from cricketing isolation that began after a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 in Lahore.

Last month, India’s Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also said that his government would not hinder Pakistan’s participation in the international events hosted by the country despite their strained political relations that worsened in May.

The eight-team tournament will get underway on September 9 with a curtain-raiser between Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

This edition of the continental event will follow the T20 format, serving as a crucial warm-up ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will begin their campaign against Oman on September 12, whereas their final group-stage match is scheduled for September 17 against the UAE.

Depending on results, the two sides could face each other again in the Super Four stage and potentially in the final — meaning fans could witness up to three encounters between the arch-rivals during the tournament.