Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has reignited the debate over cricketing ties between India and Pakistan, urging the Indian team to boycott their 2025 Asia Cup clash. Quoting the hard-hitting sentiment, “water and blood can’t flow together,” Harbhajan stressed that until India’s deeper issues with Pakistan — including the killing of soldiers and civilian terrorist attacks — are resolved, cricket should take a back seat. For him, a player’s foremost duty is towards the nation, not the scoreboard.
The call comes amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir and subsequent cross-border exchanges that claimed several Indian lives. The emotional toll of these incidents has amplified public backlash against India-Pakistan fixtures. Harbhajan, who recently played for the India Champions in the World Championship of Legends — a T20 tournament for retired cricketers — witnessed firsthand the impact of public sentiment.
In a notable gesture, his team forfeited two matches against Pakistan, allowing them to advance to the final, after fans expressed strong disapproval of the encounters. Despite this, tournament organisers have confirmed that India and Pakistan will share the same group in the 2025 Asia Cup, potentially facing each other up to three times. The matches will be staged in the UAE, with India as hosts, to avoid the logistical and political complications of Pakistan touring India.
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Harbhajan Singh minced no words in his interview with The Times of India: “For me, the soldier standing on the border, whose family sometimes doesn’t get to see him, who sacrifices his life for the nation — their sacrifice is beyond comparison. Skipping one cricket match is a very small thing compared to that.”
While it remains uncertain whether individual players can opt out of a fixture if the BCCI and PCB choose to proceed, Harbhajan has called on cricketers to lead with patriotism.
“Our government’s stance is clear — ‘Khoon aur paani ek saath nahi beh sakte’ (blood and water cannot flow together). If tensions exist on the border, we cannot be playing cricket. The nation always comes first, no matter who you are — a cricketer, an actor, or anyone else. The duties we owe to this country outweigh any game.”
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As defending champions, India’s Asia Cup campaign carries sporting prestige — but Harbhajan’s remarks underscore the emotional and moral complexities that go far beyond the cricket field. His message is simple yet powerful: patriotism over play.
