India’s dominant win over Pakistan in Asia Cup group stage came amid strong voices calling for a boycott after the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Many questioned why India agreed to play Pakistan so soon after the tragedy, which left the nation grieving and angry.
Ahead of the high-voltage clash, public sentiment was tense, with demands that India should refuse to face Pakistan. However, in an unexpected turn, families of the Pahalgam attack victims spoke out, urging people to keep cricket and conflict separate.
They highlighted that India’s sporting commitments and the Kashmir tragedy are two different matters.
Despite enduring unbearable loss, the victims’ families expressed that cricket should remain a symbol of pride rather than be mixed with politics or retaliation.
‘Woh khel ki bhavna hai, woh alag cheez hai’
In a conversation with The Indian Express, the family of Niraj Udhwani, one of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, shared their views on the ongoing debate around India playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
They stressed that cricket should not be mixed with terrorism. Niraj, originally from Jaipur and employed in Dubai, had come to India with his wife to attend a wedding in Shimla. From there, they travelled to Pahalgam, where terrorists struck on April 22, claiming 26 lives, including his.
“Woh khel ki bhavna hai, woh alag cheez hai, ye cheez alag hai. Usmein is baat ko tuul dena nahi chahiye (It’s the spirit of the game. This is a different thing and that [the Pahalgam attack] is a different thing. One should not equate the two),” said Bhagwan Das Udhwani, Niraj’s uncle.
Another relative, Prakash Udhwani, emphasized that India could not shy away from its international obligations and had to fulfill its commitments on the global stage.
“Pahalgam was an India–Pakistan issue. But the match is of an international level, where other countries are also involved since it is the Asia Cup. Agar India nahi khelega toh naam kharab hoga, bahar ho jaayega (If India doesn’t play, then its name will be tarnished and it will be out of the tournament),” he said.
