(Sports correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Punjab Kings Faces Backlash for Excluding Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 Promo
The Punjab Kings IPL franchise has come under criticism for a promotional banner ahead of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash, which omitted Pakistan’s team logo and hashtag.
The controversial post, shared on the franchise’s official Instagram, featured Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and the India cricket logo, while the accompanying hashtag referenced India only, sparking widespread debate among cricket fans.
Fans React
Many followers accused the franchise of being politically motivated and disrespectful towards Pakistan, with some saying:
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“Fear in even mentioning Pakistan before the game.”
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“Why accept defeat before the match? It’s not like the game is against an invisible team.”
The move has reignited discussions about India-Pakistan sporting tensions, following recent incidents such as the World Championship of Legends (WCL), where Indian teams refused to play Pakistan citing political and diplomatic tensions.
Upcoming Asia Cup Clash
The India-Pakistan match will take place at the Dubai International Stadium. India enters the contest after a dominant nine-wicket win against the UAE, bowling out their opponents for just 57 runs and chasing the target in under 5 overs.
Pakistan will kick off its campaign against Oman at the same venue before facing India. Historically, India has a strong record in T20 clashes, leading 13 matches with a 10–3 record. Their most recent meeting was during the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, where India won by six wickets.
Squads
Pakistan:
Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
India:
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
The controversy highlights the ongoing sensitivity around India-Pakistan sporting encounters, even as fans eagerly anticipate the high-stakes Asia Cup clash.
