The lone time India skipped cricket's continental carnival still casts a long shadow as the 2025 edition heads into politically fraught waters
It is the
whispered question that precedes almost every Asia Cup, especially in years when Delhi and Islamabad are not on speaking terms. The 2025 edition, scheduled in the UAE from September 9 to 28, has endured weeks of speculation over India's participation before the BCCI confirmed that the defending champions will indeed attend.
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Yet this anxiety is not without precedent. Throughout the Asia Cup's 39-year history, there has been one moment when India -cricket's biggest draw - did withdraw. That was in 1986, and the reverberations are still felt.
Sri Lanka's civil war and India's decision
The second Asia Cup was intended to be a proud moment for Sri Lanka, which had only joined the Test cricket community five years earlier. However, by 1986, the island was embroiled in civil war. The conflict between the government and the separatist LTTE had already claimed hundreds of lives, with incidents such as the Anuradhapura massacre revealing the violence at its worst.
Fearing for the safety of players, the Indian government instructed the BCCI to withdraw. Kapil Dev’s team, which had won the first Cup in 1984, did not board the flight to Colombo. The decision was as much political as logistical, given India’s own complicated role in Sri Lanka’s conflict.
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For the first and only time, the Asia Cup took place without India. Sri Lanka, PAK, and debutants Bangladesh competed in a shortened tournament. In the final, the hosts beat Pakistan to secure their first trophy.
When PAK returned the gesture
India's absence in 1986 was later mirrored by PAK in the 1990–91 edition. In both cases, withdrawal stemmed from escalating political conflict: India cited Sri Lanka's civil war, while PAK acted after tensions with India increased over the border and the Kashmir dispute.
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That tournament was reduced to a three-team event, with India defeating Sri Lanka in the final to secure their third Asia Cup title. The withdrawals on both sides deprived the competition of its highlight — the India–Pak clash that has always been the tournament's core.
Echoes in 2025: The rivalry that refuses to die
Fast forward to today, and the ghosts of 1986 linger once again. India has been placed in Group A with PAK, UAE, and Oman, ensuring at least one guaranteed showdown in Dubai on September 14. If both teams progress, they could meet three times — in the group stage, the Super Four, and possibly the final.
However, tensions are running high. A recent terror attack in Pahalgam, combined with Operation Sindoor against militants, has deepened mistrust. Even India's cricketing legends staged a symbolic boycott of a Legends League match against PAK earlier this year. To make matters worse, the PAK Army Chief's incendiary remarks on nuclear retaliation have made the political climate feel disturbingly familiar.
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Nevertheless, the Asia Cup has long thrived on this uneasy balancing act between rivalry and reconciliation. For broadcasters, sponsors, and most importantly, fans, an India–Pak clash remains the tournament's centrepiece. It is what sustains the relevance of the Asia Cup, even in a landscape crowded with franchise leagues and ICC tournaments.
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The fine line between sport and statecraft
The memory of 1986 serves as a reminder that cricket cannot always detach itself from geopolitics. India's withdrawal was driven not by the sport itself but by the bloodshed across the Palk Strait. Similarly, diplomatic fault lines influenced PAK’s boycott in 1990.
