Team India Addresses ‘Boycott Pakistan’ Calls: Focus Stays On Cricket

India vs Pakistan weeks never arrive quietly. This time, the noise has been louder after the Pahalgam terror attack in April and the subsequent escalation that followed. As the Asia Cup fixture draws near, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has put the team’s stance on record: once the cricket board aligned with the government’s view to participate in multilateral events, the dressing room shut out the chatter and locked in on the game. The match-day message is simple—follow policy, prepare professionally, and let cricket decide the night.

What sparked the calls

The backdrop to this contest is undeniably charged. Public anger after the Pahalgam attack triggered widespread appeals to sever sporting ties, and sections of the discourse pushed for India to skip the Pakistan game entirely. The national policy, though, separates bilateral and multilateral cricket. There is no bilateral engagement, but participation in ACC/ICC tournaments continues. That distinction is what brought this game to the calendar—and what the squad is operating under.

What the team said

Coaches framed the moment as sensitive but clear in process: players play, boards administer, governments decide. The internal messaging emphasizes compartmentalizing—acknowledge public emotion, respect the chain of decisions, then narrow the focus to selection calls, roles under lights, and match execution. The staff reiterated this is not indifference; it is discipline. It keeps energy on the controllables: lengths, fields, and phases, rather than the politics swirling outside the rope.

The policy line that governs the game

India’s stance draws a hard line between bilateral series and global or continental events. There is no home-and-away cricket with Pakistan. But multination tournaments have their own frameworks, with participation obligations and competitive consequences for forfeiture. Within that structure, the only responsible path for a playing group is to prepare as required and compete as scheduled. The cricket calendar—and the rules of the competition—demand it.

What this means for the XI

On-field, the conversation returns to roles. India have leaned into a multi-skilled blueprint—leadership stability, middle-overs control, and finishing power—with spin versus seam balance decided at the ground. Pakistan arrive after a reset that left out senior names to rewire their T20 template. The cricketing questions are familiar: who owns overs 7–15, who survives the new ball, and which captain wins the matchup battle late.

Bigger than a headline

There will always be two arenas in an India–Pakistan week: the game and the atmosphere around it. The team’s public stance turns the volume down on the latter. It does not erase the context, nor does it trivialize the sentiment outside. It recognizes the distinction between policy and play—and chooses to be accountable for what happens with bat and ball.