“Nation always comes first”- Harbhajan Singh urges Team India to not play Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025

Ex-India cricketer Harbhajan Singh didn’t mince his words when he was asked about the Indian team facing off against Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and potentially boycotting the match. India and Pakistan are placed in Group A with Oman and UAE for the Asia Cup that begins on September 9 in UAE.

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The two teams are set to face off on September 14 in Dubai, and things have heated up in the buildup for the game. The Indian team in the recent World Championship of Legends (WCL) boycotted playing the Pakistan Champions twice in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and then the drone attack by Pakistan on India.

This stance was adopted by the Indian team, which featured mainstays like Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, and Suresh Raina.

Harbhajan emphasized that the country comes first and said he thought the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, should also decline to play against Pakistan.

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“They need to understand what is important and what is not. This is as simple as that. For me, humare desh ka wo jawan jo sarhad par khada hua hai, unki families jo kayi baar unko nahi dekh paati hain, unki shahadat ho jaati hai, wo ghar wapas nahi laut paate hain—unki itni badi sacrifice hoti hai hum sabke liye. Toh ye toh bahut chhoti si baat hai ki hum ek cricket match na chhod sakein.

(For me, the soldier who stands on the border, whose family often doesn't get to see him, who sometimes sacrifices his life and never returns home—their sacrifice is so immense for all of us. Compared to that, this is a very small thing, that we can’t even skip playing one cricket match. It’s a very small matter," Harbhajan said to Times of India.

Nation always comes first:Harbhajan Singh on whether the Indian team should boycott playing Pakistan in the Asia Cup

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India, Oman, Pakistan, and the host nation, the United Arab Emirates, are all in Group A.Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka make up Group B. India, the reigning Asia Cup champions, won their eighth championship, more than any other nation in the competition's history, after defeating Sri Lanka by ten wickets.

"Our government has the same stance: 'Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte.' (Blood and sweat cannot co-exist). It cannot be the case that there's fighting on the border and tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. Until these big issues are resolved, cricket is a very small matter. The nation always comes first," Harbhajan said.

"Whatever our identity is, it's because of this country. Whether you are a player, an actor, or anyone else, no one is bigger than the nation. The country comes first, and the duties we owe to it must be fulfilled. Cricket match na khelna bahut maamuli si cheez hai desh ke saamne (Not playing a cricket match is nothing compared to the importance of the nation)," he added.

Taking a firm stand on the issue, Harbhajan, widely known as the Turbanator, emphasized the need of boycotting anything Pakistan says or does on national television.

“Humare sarhad pe bhai khade hue hain, jo hume protect kar rahe hain, humare desh ko protect kar rahe hain—unke hausle dekho, wo kitna bada dil leke waha pe khade hue hain. Aur unke parivaar par kya beet-ti hai jab wo ghar wapas nahi aate. Aur hum cricket khelne chale jaate hain [At the border, our brothers are standing, protecting us and our country. Look at their courage, the big hearts with which they serve. Think about what their families go through when they don't return home. And here we are, playing cricket," Harbhajan said.

"Hum unko itni importance kyun dete hain? Are they that important? Are they that important that every news channel runs them? When you have boycotted them, when you don't want to talk to them, then why show them here? This is the duty of the media—to stop this. They shouldn't be adding fuel to the fire. As I said, cricketers shouldn't be shaking hands with the Pakistan players, but the media shouldn't be showing them and their reactions on television, either. They are sitting in their country and can say whatever they want, but we shouldn't be highlighting them," he added.

The last time India and Pakistan faced off in an Asia Cup tournament played in T20 format was in 2022. India and Pakistan played twice in the tournament, and each won one game. Pakistan was ultimately defeated by Sri Lanka in the final of the tournament in Dubai.

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