Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:02am on 14 Sep 2025,Sunday Sports
Political tensions escalated across India as effigies of Pakistani cricket players were burnt ahead of Sunday's Asia Cup clash, despite government approval for the match. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj led protests in Delhi, calling the decision a "gross humiliation" of Pahalgam attack victims' families. Aishanya Dwivedi, widow of terror victim Shubham Dwivedi, labeled BCCI's stance "insensitive" and urged complete boycott. Social media-driven boycott calls have gained traction, creating uncertainty about BCCI officials' attendance at the marquee event. Leaders from Congress, NCP, and AIMIM criticized the decision. While India maintains its bilateral series boycott since 2012-13, the government permits multilateral tournament participation, leading to this contentious Asia Cup showdown in Dubai.
