‘Players have forgotten...’: Pahalgam victim’s wife urges boycott of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match

New Delhi: As India and Pakistan gear up to face each other in the Asia Cup on Sunday, the families of those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack have renewed calls to boycott the match.

Aishnaya Dwivedi, the wife of Kanpur businessman Shubham Dwivedi, who was killed in the Pahalgam attack barely two months after their marriage, appealed to citizens and fans not to watch the game, even on television.

“This is not our protest alone. This is from those 26 families whose loved ones were killed in Pahalgam. This protest is of every family, whose sons and brothers were butchered in the April 22 attack,” Aishnaya told IANS.

Hitting out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the players, she said, “They have forgotten that the terrorists of this Pakistan have killed the people of their country. They have forgotten the sacrifice of our soldiers while fighting with the same Pakistan.”

She added, “Nobody has sent these players forcibly. The players have gone on their own will; they should have taken a stand themselves. I feel that Indian players and the BCCI do not consider terrorism a national issue. Kuldeep Yadav from Kanpur has also gone to play the match; he could have refused to play.”

Aishnaya also said her campaign against the match has found wide support. “I am continuously posting against this on social media. Till now, not even one person has come to me who has said that you are saying wrong. Every person is standing with me. Those people are also boycotting this match.”

Her father-in-law, Sanjay Dwivedi, echoed her criticism. “Ever since I came to know about the match between India and Pakistan, I have been opposing it. The players of our country are playing with the country which killed innocent citizens of our country. This is very sad,” he said.

“This match should be boycotted. BCCI is not concerned about the citizens of the country. The board should not have any kind of relationship with the enemy country,” he added.

The government has maintained a stern stance on bilateral engagement with Pakistan, but allowed the multi-nation tournament citing ‘compulsions.’ The match, however, has sparked a major row amid lingering anger over the Pahalgam massacre.

India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025

The Indian cricket team will lock horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in their second Group A clash of the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, which will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Both teams are heading into the contest on the back of convincing wins in their respective openers. India dominated hosts UAE by nine wickets in their first match, while Pakistan outclassed Hong Kong China by 93 runs comfortably.

The result makes Sunday's encounter pivotal in the race to the Super Four. A win here not only brings bragging rights but also strengthens early qualification chances, according to Olympics.com.

India vs Pakistan live stream Asia Cup: TV channels, live streaming

The match will be broadcast on Sony Sports network, and live-stream coverage will be available on the Sony Liv app and website (sonyliv.com), as well as on FanCode.

Sony Sports 1, Sony Sports 3 (Hindi), Sony Sports 4 (Telugu), Sony Sports 4 (Tamil) and Sony Sports 5.