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Asia Cup 2025: The financial reason why BCCI may struggle to boycott Pakistan clash
The BCCI is yet to announce a boycott of India's upcoming Asia Cup showdown against Pakistan, which will take place in Dubai on 14 September. AFP/Reuters
The decision to club India and Pakistan together in the same group in next month's Asia Cup has been met with outrage, but is hardly surprising given how financially rewarding a match between the two South Asian arch-rivals is.
The BCCI was widely expected to boycott all upcoming fixtures against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in April and the subsequent four-day military standoff between the two nuclear powers.
However, the fact that the board has not objected to the , in which India and Pakistan could potentially face each other thrice, has led to an outpouring of criticism on social media. The BCCI, for that matter, hasn't objected to the ICC putting the two rivals in the same group in next year's Women's T20 World Cup in England either.
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And there's a good reason why following the public sentiment on matches against Pakistan is easier said than done.
Skyrocketing ad-rates a reminder of Indo-Pak rivalry's importance in cricket
The broadcasters, after all, have set steep advertising rates for the upcoming Asia Cup, with the Indo-Pak rivalry being a key reason for the same. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), which holds the rights for the event till 2031, has priced TV ads between Rs 14 to 16 lakh per 10 seconds, or Rs 4.48 crore for all India and non-India matches, according to a report on The Economic Times.
Additionally, the television ad packages are set at Rs 18 crore for 'Co-presenting sponsorship' and Rs 13 crore for 'Associate sponsorship'. All matches will be streamed live on SonyLIV, where being a 'Co-presenting and highlights partner' will cost Rs 30 crore, with Rs 18 crore having to be shelled out for the 'Co-powered-by package'.
India-Pakistan matches are set to have special advertising rates in certain segments. For example, pre-roll ads have been set at Rs 275 per 10 seconds, which increases to Rs 500 for India games and Rs 750 for Indo-Pak contests.
The same value for mid-roll ads and connected TV ads have been set at Rs 225 (Rs 400 for India games; Rs 600 for India-Pakistan) and Rs 450 (Rs 800 for India matches; Rs 1,200 for India-Pakistan) respectively.
And the fact that the organisers have stuck to the format that boosts chances of India and Pakistan meeting each other thrice shows that they certainly intend to milk this rivalry despite the recent diplomatic crisis involving the two nations.
The BCCI could have perhaps pulled out of the tournament, which in all likelihood would have led to is cancellation. But that was a decision they could have made at the ACC meeting in Dhaka that vice-president Rajeev Shukla had attended virtually.
The fact that the board decided to go ahead with India's participation in the continental event meant an Indo-Pak clash was likely on the cards, regardless of the opposition to the same on social media.
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