New Delhi/Dubai, September 11, 2025: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday refused to urgently hear a petition seeking the cancellation of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup T20 match, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai.
The plea, filed as a public interest litigation (PIL) by four law students led by Urvashi Jain, argued that holding the match so soon after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor would undermine “national dignity” and hurt public sentiment. It claimed the game would be detrimental to national interests, hurt the morale of the armed forces, and “prioritize entertainment over national security.”
When the matter was mentioned before a bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi, the judges dismissed the request for urgent listing. “What is the urgency? It’s a match, let it be. Match is this Sunday — what can we do about that? Let it be. The match should go on,” the bench observed.
The court’s decision clears the way for the high-profile encounter between the arch-rivals, which will take place as scheduled at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
India and Pakistan are set to meet in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the Asia Cup, a clash that traditionally attracts global attention both on and off the field.
