Overview

• Union ministers and BCCI officials said India must play Pakistan in ACC/ICC tournaments or forfeit under event rules, with bilateral cricket still suspended.
• The Supreme Court declined to urgently list a petition seeking to halt the tie, leaving organizers to proceed with the Dubai fixture.
• Opposition leaders including Asaduddin Owaisi, Arvind Kejriwal and Uddhav Thackeray criticized the decision, as AAP urged venues not to screen the match and protesters burned an effigy representing Pakistani players.
• Families of Pahalgam victims publicly objected, calling the match insensitive and urging a viewer boycott.
• Reports from Dubai described a subdued build-up with quieter training and unsold ticket blocks, even as some figures such as Wasim Akram urged fans to treat it as just a game.