'I can guarantee this match won't happen' - Kedar Jadhav on hyped IND vs PAK clash at Asia Cup

Published - 18 Aug 2025, 17:05 IST | Updated - 18 Aug 2025, 17:17 IST

Former international cricketer Kedar Jadhav has come in support of India opting against facing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The arch-rivals are set to cross swords against each other in the upcoming continental tournament on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, Jadhav has opined that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should refrain to participate in the hyped contest.

The 40-year-old is of the opinion that the Men in Blue have the capacity to beat Pakistan anywhere in the world, but he also believes that not playing a game would change nothing to the dominance that India boast in world cricket at the moment. Jadhav's comments came in the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terrorist attacks, which was followed by the launch of a successful Operation Sindoor by the Indian government.

“I think the Indian team shouldn’t play against Pakistan. As far as India is concerned, they will win anywhere against Pakistan. But I can guarantee that this match won’t be played. The Operation Sindoor was a massive hit. The reply was instant. The new, progressive India has shown that we can destroy enemies within their own territory,” Kedar Jadhav was quoted as saying by Cricket 365.

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On the same lines, legendary India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared a similar opinion. Harbhajan believes that the soldiers who protect the nation by putting their lives in jeopardy for the nation's security are of a much bigger significance to the country compared to a cricket match played between India and Pakistan. He thinks that it is not a huge matter to skip one match in the Asia Cup for the sake of national interest.

"They need to understand what is important and what is not. This is as simple as that. For me, the soldier who stands on the border, whose family often doesn’t get to see him, who sometimes sacrifices his life and never returns home — their sacrifice is so immense for all of us [Indians]. Compared to that, this [India vs Pakistan] is a very small thing — that we can’t even skip playing one cricket match. It’s a very small matter," Harbhajan told TOI in an interview.

With a lot of outside noise forcing the BCCI to skip playing the match against Pakistan, it is going to be interesting to see whether the match actually happens.