Explained : The Politics of South Asian Cricket and Its Impact

The T20 Cricket World Cup has recently unfolded around arguably more political strain than normal.

South Asian cricket no longer feels separated from politics – the Bangladesh team requested relocation of its fixtures from India, and Pakistan has of course declared its discomfort with matches in India, its long standing enemy.

What sparked the most tension was the 2025 Asia Cup, which saw victorious India breaking decades of sporting tradition in declining to shake hands with the Pakistani players, and refusing to take the trophy from the Asian Cricket Council’s president, Mohsin Naqvi, who serves as a minister in the Pakistani government. 

For years, the cricket pitch was a rare ‘demilitarised zone’ between countries, a place separated from policy, but it was gestures like this and those that followed which sent the message that there is no longer an escape from politics.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) shifted the Pakistan – India match to Columbo, Sri Lanka – what they suggested was a neutral ground to avoid friction. 

It is important to note that this particular sports and political rivalry is not entirely something that is avoided.

India and Pakistan have actually been called cricket’s ‘most commercially lucrative’ rivalry – it is not only an area of political strain, but a business model.

In reality, a Pakistan-India match is, to millions, far more than an event, but an emotion – a few hours where nationalism is at its peak in both countries. It strikes television debates, prompts social media buzz unparalleled in cricket. Streaming concurrency shoots up. Match advertising slots sell at unprecedented rates. And of course, the meme culture is relentless.

If anything, all of this reveals cricket’s dependence on friction between teams; rivalry is provocation, provocation is engagement, and engagement is revenue. The sport’s profit relies precisely on the tensions that always keep it ever so slightly on edge.

It seems as though ‘The Gentleman’s Game’ has lost its manners.