Of Honour, Commerce, and a Contested Pitch

ACUTE ANGLE

- Anand Neelakantan

Another high-octane India-Pakistan match was over and more will be coming soon in the tournament.

We saw a lot of theatrics in the Indian team refusing to shake hands with the vanquished Pakistan team. The Indian team’s reaction was an expression of what the Indian public feel in the aftermath of Pahalgam. This contest is jarringly out of syne with the national mood. It presents a stark contrast: a country in a state of solemn anger on one side, and a multi-million-dollar sporting carnival on the other. But does the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) care for anything other than money?

The justification provided by the board’s secretary, Devajit Saikia, is that since the Asia Cup is a “multinational competition,” a boycott is not feasible. He argues that such a move would undermine India’s ambitions to host major future events like the Olympics. This rationale, however, rings hollow for many. It positions national sentiment as subordinate to long-term logistical goals.

The government, for its part, acted with resolve following the attack, launching Operation Sindoor and banning hostile media channels. This decisive stance makes the BCCI’s decision appear disconnected from the nation’s prevailing spirit. While citizens engage in symbolic “sindoor” protests to honour our soldiers, the country’s wealthiest sporting body proceeds with business as usual, creating a dissonance that is hard to ignore.