Nana Patekar says India shouldn't play Pakistan in Asia Cup
At a recent event, veteran actor Nana Patekar voiced his disapproval of the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match, saying, "Actually, I shouldn't speak about such matters. Still, my personal opinion is that India should not play. I feel when the blood of our people has been spilt by them, then why should we play with them?"
He also criticized BCCI for moving ahead with the game despite rising tensions.
Actors Shetty, Patekar discuss cricket amid terror
This was the first cricket face-off between India and Pakistan since a tragic terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 this year, which killed 26 people—mostly tourists.
In May, India responded with Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps across the border.
These events fueled strong calls to boycott the match.
Actor Suniel Shetty weighed in too, saying players shouldn't be blamed since they're just representing their country and that decisions like these are out of BCCI's hands.
Meanwhile, India-Pakistan clash underway in Dubai
Despite all this tension and debate, both teams played as scheduled in Dubai on September 14, 2025 as part of Asia Cup 2025.
The high-stakes clash drew massive attention from fans worldwide.