India shuts bilateral sports door with Pakistan, opens gates for global tournaments

Indian government released a new memorandum on Tuesday regarding Pakistan potentially visiting India for future events. The last time Pakistan crossed the border was for the 2023 ODI World Cup. According to the new memo, neighboring players will be allowed to participate in the international events hosted by India.

Relations between the two countries had taken a massive nosedive after the Pahalgam attacks last year. This was followed by India launching the Operation Sindoor in retaliation. Indian cricket team hasn’t travelled to the neighboring country since 2008, which saw Asia Cup 2023 and Champions Trophy 2025 being played in Hybrid venues. 

Earlier this year, the Salman Agha-led side played all their T20 World Cup games in Sri Lanka. The massive IND vs PAK clash was held in Sri Lanka, with Suryakumar Yadav and his men coming out on top. Team India won the event, beating New Zealand in the final to successfully defend their title.  

No resumption to bilateral sporting ties

While the Indian government is open to hosting PAK players for international events, the status quo remains regarding bilateral events. The memo released on Tuesday states, “As far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India."

There were lots of questions as to why India was facing their arch-rivals in ICC-held tournaments. There were even talks of the game in Sri Lanka facing a potential boycott by the Men in Green; ultimately the game went ahead after lots of drama. 

What cricketing events will India host next?

The next big ICC event will be the 2029 Champions Trophy with India as the sole hosts. Then in 2031, the ODI World Cup will be held with BCCI sharing the hosting rights with Bangladesh. It will be interesting to see if the Pakistan Cricket Board is ready to play after their stance during the T20 World Cup 2026. 

The Commonwealth Games 2030 will be hosted by India, and there is also a major effort to win the bid for the 2036 Olympic Games. With such events in place, the government has taken this stance, and the new memorandum is being passed.