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1986, 1990: The Last Time India And Pakistan Boycotted Asia Cup; Know The Reason

Anurag Dasgupta

India and Pakistan Asia Cup boycott [Source: @Oam_16/x.com] India and Pakistan Asia Cup boycott [Source: @Oam_16/x.com]

The Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence next month, but the buzz has already deteriorated due to the political tension between India and Pakistan. India is the host of the 2025 marquee event, but due to the ongoing turmoil, the event was shifted to the UAE, as Pakistan demanded the tournament to be played in a hybrid model.

After Operation Sindoor, there were reports that India might pull out of the Asia Cup event, and while no concrete decision has been made, it looks like India might be willing to go to the UAE to take part in the tournament.

However, this was not the case in 198, when India decided to boycott the Asia Cup and pulled out of the competition.

When India boycotted Asia Cup in 1986

Sri Lanka was in turmoil due to a civil war that broke out in 1983 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Anuradhapura massacre killed nearly 146 civilians, which showcased the state of the nation. Wary about Indian players' safety in Sri Lanka, the Indian side pulled out of the tournament.

As a result, the 1986 Asia Cup had only three teams - Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This was Bangladesh's ODI Debut tournament, and after the Round-Robin matches, Sri Lanka and Pakistan met in the finals, and the hosts won the tournament.

The year when Pakistan pulled out of Asia Cup

In the 1990-91 edition of the Asia Cup, Pakistan decided to pull out of the competition due to its strained relations with India. The late 1980s witnessed the Kashmir conflict and increased border tensions. The relationship deteriorated, and the Men in Green decided not to participate in the Asia Cup.

As a result, with no India-Pakistan clash, viewership dropped, but more importantly, the quality of cricket dropped as well. India, and Sri Lanka reached the finale, and the hosts defeated the Lankan Lions to clinch the title. Kapil Dev was the star for India as he helped India win the tournament.