Asia Cup 2025: India vow to keep emotions in check against Pakistan

Dubai: India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has assured fans that the team understands the emotions surrounding their high-stakes Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on Sunday in Dubai, but insists the players are determined to remain calm and professional.

The fixture marks the arch-rivals’ first international meeting since the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, making the contest one of the most politically charged encounters in recent memory.

Calls for a boycott had surfaced earlier, but the Indian government cleared the team’s participation, revising its stance on sporting ties with Pakistan in August.

Under the updated policy, Indian athletes can face Pakistani opponents only at multinational events, while bilateral matches remain off the table.

Speaking with the media on the eve of the game, Ten Doeschate admitted that he himself was unsure until recently whether India would even travel to the tournament, with the schedule left hanging in “limbo” for months.

“Yes, it’s obviously a very sensitive issue, and I’ve got no doubt the players share the compassion and feelings of the vast majority of the Indian public,” he said at the press conference. “At one stage, we didn’t think we’d be coming. But now that the government has made its position clear, the players’ job is to put those emotions aside and focus on representing India.”

He revealed that the matter was openly discussed within the squad. “It’s actually something we addressed in the team meeting today. We’re aware of people’s feelings, but the guys know they’ve got to be professional and give their best for the country tomorrow.”

Ten Doeschate also outlined head coach Gautam Gambhir’s instructions to the squad: keep emotions in check and concentrate solely on cricket.

“Gauti’s message has been clear — don’t worry about things outside our control. The players have to approach the game with as little emotion as possible,” he said. “We haven’t done anything different in our preparations for this match. The biggest frustration was the long wait to find out if we were playing. Once that was decided, it was about getting on with the job.”

He added that while individual players may feel differently about the broader situation, professionalism remains the team’s guiding principle. “I’m sure individuals have different levels of feeling on the spectrum. But the messaging has been to focus only on the cricket, and on one game at a time.”

The India-Pakistan clash is expected to be the Asia Cup’s most-watched match, drawing millions of viewers worldwide. For India, Ten Doeschate stressed, the challenge lies not in ignoring public sentiment but in channelling their energy into the contest itself.

“It’s about staying focused and giving everything on the field,” he said.