 "India vs Pakistan in cricket: Why the clash now feels like a distant dream")
India and Pakistan cricket matches have always been the most-watched games in the world. The stadiums are always full and the tension remains high with fans from both countries sitting glued to their screens. But now, the chances of seeing this iconic clash again, even in ICC tournaments, is starting to look more and more like a distant dream.
Things have been bad for a while but after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April, where 26 innocent people were killed, the situation has gone from bad to worse. In response, India asked all Pakistani nationals to leave the country before 1 May and suspended the Indus Water Treaty . India also expelled several Pakistani diplomats as a retaliatory measure.
In its first military action since the attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, India launched Operation Sindoor, precision missile strikes on terror camps across the border early on 7 May. The whole atmosphere between the two countries has since become super tense.
Pakistan has also launched attacks on Indian soil in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Because of this, several sporting events have been affected . The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which is one of the biggest cricket tournaments in the world, has been suspended for a week. On the other side, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also suspended the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 for an indefinite period.
Why expecting an India vs Pakistan series has become unrealistic?
There hasn’t been a proper bilateral series between India and Pakistan since 2012-13. India cut all bilateral ties with Pakistan after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008. However, a complete boycott on these matches was imposed four years later after a short white-ball series.
Now, the only time fans get to see them play is during ICC or ACC tournaments. Even that isn’t going to be easy anymore because of the rising Indo-Pak tensions. With both countries now on high alert and emotions running high due to the ongoing conflict, any talk of a bilateral series seems pointless at this moment.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsLast year’s Asia Cup had to be held in a hybrid format because India refused to travel to Pakistan. The 2025 Champions Trophy was also held in a similar format due to the BCCI’s refusal to send a team to Pakistan, which was hosting its first ICC event in 29 years. Pakistan has also refused to send its team to India for any future event until at least 2027.
India is scheduled to host the 2026 T20 World Cup as defending champions. But questions are being raised even for that given how bad the relations have become right now. If things don’t cool down in the coming months, there is a real chance the tournament could be called off or moved to a neutral country.
Until things get better, watching India vs Pakistan play cricket is just something fans will have to keep hoping for.
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