India-Pakistan Ties: What Lies Ahead in ICC, ACC Events?

Speculation on India-Pakistan Grouping in ICC Events

There has been intense speculation that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC), requesting that India and Pakistan not be clubbed in the same group in future global events. However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has clarified that the Board will follow the government's advice on the matter.

Upcoming ICC Events

• The Women's ODI World Cup is scheduled for September-October in India, with Pakistan having qualified for the tournament.
• The tournament will be held in an all-play-all round-robin format, with no groupings involved.
• Pakistan's matches will be held in a neutral venue, to be determined by the BCCI.

Men's Asia Cup

• The tournament will be held in a neutral country in September.
• The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has sold the media rights for the Asia Cup, valued at $170 million for four editions.
• The media rights deal is middle-heavy, with the 2025 edition costing around $38 million.
• The last edition of the Asia Cup in 2023 featured India and Pakistan in the same group, with the two teams facing off twice.

Next Steps

• The venue for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup has yet to be announced.
• The draw was initially expected to take place in May, but may now be deferred due to prevailing tensions between India and Pakistan.