Kapil Dev Urges India to ‘Focus on the Game’ Ahead of Asia Cup Clash With Pakistan

Former India captain Kapil Dev has advised Suryakumar Yadav and his team to stay focused on cricket amid growing calls for India to boycott its upcoming Asia Cup Group A match against Pakistan.

“Players should concentrate only on their performance and not get distracted by anything else. Just go and win. The government will do its job, and the players should do theirs,” the 1983 World Cup–winning captain told reporters, according to PTI.

The debate over the September 14 fixture intensified following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 tourists. While some groups have urged the BCCI to cancel the game, board secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the match would proceed, citing government policy. India has barred bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan but permits contests in multilateral tournaments.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to urgently hear a petition seeking the match’s cancellation, saying the scheduled fixture posed no harm.

If both sides advance from Group A, India and Pakistan could meet up to three times in the tournament — once in the Super 4 stage and potentially again in the final.