BCCI Shuts Down Rumors of India Pulling Out of Asia Cup

The BCCI has firmly put an end to all the chatter surrounding India's supposed withdrawal from the upcoming Men’s Asia Cup and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Calling the reports "completely baseless," the board made it clear that no such decision has been taken.

Ever since morning, reports have been doing the rounds claiming that India won’t be taking part in either of the continental tournaments — both organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). But BCCI’s Honorary Secretary, Devajit Saikia, was quick to rubbish those claims. “Since this morning, it has come to our notice about some news items about BCCI’s decision not to participate in Asia Cup and Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, both ACC’s events. Such news are devoid of any truth as till now BCCI has not even discussed or taken any such steps regarding the upcoming ACC events, leave alone writing anything to the ACC,” said Saikia in a statement. 

He added that the board’s focus right now is strictly on the present — which means wrapping up the IPL season and preparing for the upcoming series against England for both the men’s and women’s teams. “At this stage, our prime focus is on the ongoing IPL and subsequent England series, both men and women,” he said. Saikia also mentioned that any official decision on India’s participation in ACC tournaments will be made and announced at the appropriate time. Until then, he urged fans and the media not to jump the gun. 

The rumors stemmed from a report by The Indian Express, which claimed that in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and subsequent Operation Sindoor, the BCCI had decided not to participate in any ACC events — citing that the current ACC president, Mohsin Naqvi, is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister. “The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC whose chief is a Pakistan minister,” the source was quoted as saying. The report even mentioned that the BCCI had allegedly “verbally communicated” to the ACC that it would skip the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and was putting its overall participation in ACC events on hold. 

But the BCCI’s official response makes it crystal clear — no such communication has taken place. At least not yet. It’s true that political tensions between India and Pakistan often spill over into the sporting arena, and the recent events in Kashmir have only intensified the strain. However, as things stand, India is still set to host the Men’s Asia Cup in September, and the Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka next month. 

Whether anything changes on that front remains to be seen. But for now, BCCI insists that talk of a withdrawal is nothing more than speculation. 

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