New Delhi (AP) – It’s a sports rivalry that is unparalleled in the world.
The cricket contest will be far more than that when India and Pakistan face off in Dubai on Sunday. It has a bitterness that is so strong that it has two archrival nations, high political hostility and the patriotic nature of hundreds of millions of people. .
Fans will be holding Pakistan and India flags in message banners watching Pakistan and New Zealand’s Try Series ODI cricket matches at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan on February 8, 2025.
Cricket Mad Nations India and Pakistan compete in the 50-over format of the game for the eight coveted countries Champions Trophy The tournament began in Pakistan on Wednesday. Six national teams traveled to Pakistan for the tournament, but India refused to go there by leveraging its strong influence on the International Cricket Council, the global governing body of the game.
Indian cricket authorities have not submitted a formal statement about refusing to play in Pakistan, but some officials have suggested that the decision is based on security concerns . India will play all matches, including matches against Pakistan, in Dubai’s neutral venue in the United Arab Emirates.
Political undertone of the game
In both India and Pakistan, cricket has become a symbol of national identity, with all conflicts attracting the attention of over a billion fans. And Sunday’s match happens when the relationship between the two neighbors reaches a new low.
That hostility stems primarily from the conflict over two countries of Kashmir. Kashmir is the Himalayas region that fought two wars. The nuclear-armed rivals each control part of Kashmir, but both claim the entire territory.
Islamabad denies exacerbating territorial conflicts, as tensions stemmed from the fatal 2008 attack on Mumbai in Mumbai, which India condemned Pakistani extremists.
Fans arrive with others at the National Bank Stadium for the ICC Champions Trophy Cricket match in Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, Pakistan on February 19, 2025, and placards saying “I want to meet you in Pakistan” I have it. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
And sports-related inevitably declines and flows along with politics. The bonds of bilateral cricket have remained suspended since 2008, and the two national teams have played each other in global events that are always combined in groups to ensure there is a contest between them. Masu.
The Indian team has not traveled to Pakistan since 2008, but Pakistan played for India during the World Cup in 2023.
The so-called “cricket diplomacy” occasionally thawed relations, but that was not the case under Modi. His Hindu nationalist government has taken a tough stance on resuming friendly cricket ties with Pakistan with many senior ministers who say Indian teams will not play domestically.
Dozens of people who challenged India and Kashmir have faced police complaints and sometimes even jails for cheering on Pakistani teams.
On Thursday, February 20, 2025, a police officer showing a portrait of Indian captain Rohit Sharma stands next to a guard next to him, outside the Gadafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
“Cricket is the strongest currency in this government’s eyes that it used to incite res and rage against Pakistan,” said Indian sports writer Sharda Ugra. Ugra said fans from both countries would like to see them play more frequently, but the contest was “taken hostage by ugly politics.”
Hundreds of millions of eyes are taking part in the game
In a huge number, viewers of Indian and Pakistan matches have warned the Super Bowl in what Ugra calls “the world’s greatest sports rivalry.”
When India’s two sides competed against each other in 2023, its estimated viewers on cable television and streaming services were around 400 million. In comparison, this year’s Super Bowl averaged 127.7 million people across all US platforms.
Organizers are hoping for similar numbers at Sunday’s contest at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. And it’s a guaranteed windfall as tickets for the game are sold out within minutes, preventing billion-dollar broadcast contracts.
Media in both countries are also cashing out. Pakistani and Indian television news channels provide wall-to-wall coverage. In recent weeks, both countries’ television commercials have used patriotic enthusiasm to stoke each other’s fun.
Indian family is watching children at cricket coaching camp in Mumbai, India on Friday, February 21, 2025 (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Local governments and private companies in both countries have announced the installation of giant screens in some urban centers and shopping malls.
Fans want more
For many fans, this conflict is more valuable than any other sporting event in the world, and they want it more.
In Mumbai city in western India, cricket coach Anil Sawant will be watching the game at the clubhouse with his friends on a huge screen.
“These matches should be played frequently,” said Sawant, 57, a favorite of cricketers of all ages as students hone their skills during practice at the city’s Shivaji Park Grounds.
Mohammad Ahmed, a 27-year-old accountant, also plans to host seven friends at his home in Rawalpindi city, Pakistan. They all watch the game on the big screen and he plans to offer them a special chicken biryani.
“And of course, fries and soft drinks are on the menu,” Ahmed said with a smile.
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Associated Press journalist Rizwan Ali of Rajanish Kakade from Islamabad, Pakistan and Mumbai contributed to the report.
