Former India captain Kapil Dev has advised Suryakumar Yadav and his squad to remain focused on their performance as India prepares to face Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup. His message comes at a time when calls for boycotting the high-profile fixture have been growing following the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

India and Pakistan are set to meet in the Group A stage on September 14. While many voices across the country have demanded that India withdraw from the game, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that the match will proceed. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia explained that the board is acting in line with government directives, which allow India to play Pakistan in multilateral events but not in bilateral series.

Kapil Dev stressed that political and administrative matters should be left to the authorities, and players should not get distracted. “The team has the talent to win. They must keep their eyes on cricket and leave decisions of policy to the government,” the 1983 World Cup winner said.

The arch-rivals could potentially meet up to three times in this tournament — once in the group stage, again in the Super Four if both teams qualify, and possibly in the final.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has dismissed an urgent plea seeking cancellation of the match, saying the scheduled game does not cause harm.