The Indian Supreme Court on Thursday turned down an urgent plea seeking cancellation of the Asia Cup T20 match between India and Pakistan scheduled for September 14 in Dubai.
A Bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by four law students who argued that playing Pakistan so soon after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor would convey the wrong message.
“Match is this Sunday? What can we do about that? Let it be. The match should go on,” Justice Maheshwari remarked during the brief hearing.
The petitioners’ counsel requested that the matter be listed for consideration, even if not immediately. But the Bench refused to grant urgent listing and reaffirmed that the match would take place as planned.
The PIL contended that hosting a cricket game against Pakistan would demoralize the Armed Forces and hurt the families of martyrs and terror victims, stressing that cricket could not be prioritized over national security, citizens’ lives, or soldiers’ sacrifices.
With the Court’s rejection of the plea, the much-anticipated India-Pakistan encounter in the Asia Cup remains set for Sunday in Dubai.
