NEW DELHI: With just some days left for the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025, the event has already discovered itself on the centre of controversy. Sony Sports activities Community, the official broadcast companion, launched a promotional video to construct pleasure for the occasion however ended up going through extreme backlash from followers on social media. The set off was their India vs Pakistan promo, which highlighted the marquee conflict scheduled for September 14.The commercial featured India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Pakistan’s tempo spearhead Shaheen Afridi, and legendary Indian batter Virender Sehwag.
Whereas the intent was to ignite anticipation forward of the high-voltage encounter between the arch-rivals, it as a substitute sparked outrage on-line. Followers strongly criticised the broadcaster for specializing in the India-Pakistan rivalry at a time of heightened feelings following the April 23 Pahalgam terror assault, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.A number of customers referred to as for a boycott of the Asia Cup altogether, whereas others particularly urged a boycott of Sony Sports activities Community. The BCCI and Sehwag additionally drew sharp criticism from sections of followers for his or her affiliation with the promotional marketing campaign. The anger displays the delicate backdrop wherein the event is about to be performed, with cricket between India and Pakistan persevering with to stay a extremely polarising subject.Amid the storm, the cricketing facet of the Asia Cup carries vital intrigue.
The 2025 version will probably be India’s first main multi-nation event with out stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, each of whom retired from T20Is earlier this 12 months after guiding India to back-to-back ICC titles — the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their absence marks the start of a brand new chapter, with Suryakumar Yadav main a youthful squad.India have been drawn in Group A, which additionally options Oman, hosts UAE, and arch-rivals Pakistan. Group B consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. India will kick off their marketing campaign towards UAE on September 10 on the Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium. The much-talked-about conflict towards Pakistan will happen on September 14 on the similar venue, whereas their last group match towards Oman is scheduled for September 19 in Abu Dhabi.