What is the urgency? Supreme Court refuses urgent listing of plea against India-Pakistan cricket match

India and Pakistan meet on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the 2025 Asia Cup

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a plea for urgent listing of a petition seeking cancellation of the upcoming Asia Cup cricket match to be played between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 14.

A counsel mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi. The counsel urged the bench to grant urgent listing on the matter.

"What is the urgency? It's a match, let it be. The match is this Sunday. What can be done?" the bench said.

The counsel submitted that the cricket match is scheduled for Sunday, and the plea would become infructuous if the matter is not listed on Friday.

The bench, however, said, “Match is this Sunday? What can we do about that? Let it be. The match should go on.”

A plea was filed seeking cancellation of the cricket match between India and Pakistan in the Asia Cup T20 tournament.

“Playing cricket matches between India and Pakistan shows that the entertainment and revenue generation are much more important than the lives of our brave soldiers and civilians. This scheduled match is nothing but a mockery of the emotions of all the citizens of India. It is high time to take steps to bring the BCCI under the control/purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,” the plea said.

The petition, filed by four law students led by Urvashi Jain, said organising a cricket match with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Phalagam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, sent a message inconsistent with national dignity and public sentiment.

The petitioners sought directions to bring the BCCI under the control/purview of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Their plea said cricket between nations is meant to show harmony and friendship.

"But after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, when our people died and our soldiers risked everything, playing with Pakistan sent the opposite message that while our soldiers sacrificed their lives, we are celebrating sports with the same country sheltering terrorists," the plea said.

It contended that the match can also hurt the sentiments of the families of the victims who lost their lives at the hands of the Pakistani terrorists, and the dignity of the nation and the security of citizens come before entertainment.

The plea said the cricket match in the upcoming Asia Cup is detrimental to the national interests and to the morale of the armed forces and of the nation as a whole.