Manoj Tiwary Opposes India-Pakistan Match in 2025 Asia Cup Amid Tensions
Concerns Over Scheduled Match
In Kolkata, former cricketer Manoj Tiwary expressed his disapproval regarding the upcoming India-Pakistan match set for the 2025 Asia Cup, which is slated to take place from September 9 to 28 in the United Arab Emirates. Tiwary's comments followed the announcement by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the highly anticipated match will occur on September 14.
Tiwary stated, "I am against it. The India-Pakistan match should not be held, especially in light of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam that resulted in civilian casualties. Following that, Operation Sindoor has been initiated."
The Asia Cup's Group A includes India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Tiwary believes that the current circumstances do not warrant such a match.
"Given the severity of the situation, how can we even consider an India-Pakistan match? I think this needs to be reevaluated, and the match should not proceed under these conditions," he remarked.
On the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a strong warning to Pakistan in the Lok Sabha, asserting that any hostile actions against India would be met with a decisive response, as Operation Sindoor continues.
In response to Modi's statement, Tiwary questioned the logic of scheduling a match against Pakistan while military operations are ongoing. "Our Prime Minister has indicated that Operation Sindoor is still active... How can we engage in a match with Pakistan?" he asked.
The tournament will kick off with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 9. India is set to begin its campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by the crucial match against Pakistan on the 14th. India will conclude the group stage with a game against Oman on September 19.
After the group matches, the tournament will advance to the Super 4 stage, where the top two teams from each group will compete, culminating in the final on September 28.