When India-Pakistan Conflict Affected Cricketing Ties Between The Two Countries
India and Pakistan's strained relations have limited their cricket encounters. The BCCI suspended the IPL 2025 season amid escalating military conflicts.
India and Pakistan’s conflicts have affected their relation not across borders but on the cricket field too. Due to the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan only play each other in international events including World Cups and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13 when the latter toured India for the five-match white-ball series.
Amid the escalating military conflict between India and Pakistan, the BCCI has decided to suspend the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
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In 1947, India and Pakistan gained independence from British rule, leading to the partition of the subcontinent. This laid the foundation for a complex and often tense relationship between the two countries, which extended into the realm of sports.
From 1961 to 1978, India and Pakistan experienced a hiatus in cricketing ties due to political tensions and two wars in 1966 and 1971.
However, in 2004, a thaw in relations led to a series of bilateral matches between the two countries, with 31 games played. This period was marked by efforts to use cricket as a means of diplomacy.
In 2013, the Indian government halted bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan, citing concerns over terrorism. Pakistani players were also barred from participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The situation escalated in February 2019 when a suicide bombing in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. The attack, claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group, led to heightened tensions, including airstrikes and calls for India to boycott matches against Pakistan.
In March 2019, Indian players wore army-style caps during a match against Australia to honour fallen soldiers, a move criticised by Pakistan and leading to a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
On June 16, 2019, India and Pakistan faced off in a World Cup clash at Old Trafford, as India and Pakistan face off in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup in a hybrid model in 2013 after India refused to travel to the country and played all their matches in Sri Lanka.
For the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan was set to host the tournament, before India’s withdrawal forced Dubai to be chosen as a venue for all of the Men in Blue’s games.
What that affected was the plan for all future ICC events, with Pakistyan ot travelling to India or vice-versa till 2031. India is set to co-host the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka and the 2031 edition of the ODI World Cup with Bangladesh and has the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy in 2029.
IPL 2025 was suspended for one week amid growing conflict between the neighbours.
After India launched precision strikes targeting nine high-value terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok), in response to the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Pakistan attempted to engage in number of military targets in Northern and Western India on May 7-8.
India on Thursday morning targeted the Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan, during which the one at Lahore has been neutralised.
Later, Pakistan launched aerial attacks on Jammu as well as several military stations near the western border, but those were successfully foiled by India’s air defence systems.
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