Overview

• India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate ruled out any team boycott and said players have been urged to be professional and focus on cricket.
• Reports indicate the BCCI will limit official presence at the game, with interim president Rajiv Shukla expected to be the only board representative in Dubai.
• Political criticism intensified, with Asaduddin Owaisi, Arvind Kejriwal and Uddhav Thackeray attacking the decision to play, while Ajit Pawar noted the match would proceed under existing policy.
• A petition seeking to block the fixture was not urgently listed by the Supreme Court, leaving the scheduled contest unchanged.
• The group-stage match is set for Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with toss at 6:00 pm local and first ball at 6:30 pm, amid a subdued build-up and reports of slower ticket sales.