India Bans Bilateral Cricket with Pakistan

India's New Sports Policy: India and Pakistan Teams Can Only Face Off in Multi-Nation Tournaments

The government of India has announced that there will be no more bilateral series between India and Pakistan. However, neither team will be stopped from playing in the multilateral sports event such as the Asia Cup 2025.

The Sports Ministry of India has imposed this ban due to the recent attacks in Pahalgam that are believed to be linked to Pakistan. Furthermore, the ministry re-emphasized that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan and the Pakistan team will not be welcomed in India.

Multilateral Tournaments Remain Unaffected by Bilateral Ban

The restraints put on bilateral fixtures between India and Pakistan do not hinder both teams from competing with each other in a multilateral tournament like the Asia Cup 2025. These tournaments do not feature direct bilateral arrangements and are held in third-party venues. 

The Ministry of India has also confirmed that India vs Pakistan matches in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 won’t be banned. Both teams have not played in a bilateral fixture in a long time, but have played each other in multi-nation tournaments. 

What is India’s New Sports Policy?

The Sports Ministry of India recently said that “India's approach to sports events involving Pakistan reflects its overall policy in dealing with that country. Regarding bilateral sports events held in each other's countries, Indian teams will not participate in competitions in Pakistan, nor will Pakistani teams be permitted to play in India.”

Further adding, “However, about international and multilateral events, whether held in India or abroad, India is guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interests of its sportspersons. Considering India's emergence as a credible venue for hosting international sports events is also relevant.”

The new policy also states that visa procedures will be further simplified for the players, team officials, technical personnel, and other staff. Office bearers will be granted multi-entry visas for the whole duration of their official tenure.

To sum up, the Sports Ministry of India has banned bilateral matches between India and Pakistan. However, these restrictions do not apply to multilateral tournaments like the Asia Cup 2025. So, cricket fans will surely be able to catch some great moments when India and Pakistan face off during the Asia Cup. As per the new policy, the Indian government has also tried simplifying visa procedures for sportspersons, team officials, and office bearers.