Following the tragic attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of at least 26 innocent tourists, strong reactions have poured in from across India — including the cricketing fraternity.
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla, responding to the incident, firmly reiterated that India will not engage in any bilateral cricket series with Pakistan.
“We stand with the victims and strongly condemn the attack,” Shukla told a local news outlet. “We don’t play bilateral cricket with Pakistan due to our government’s policy, and that will remain unchanged. We only play in ICC events due to global commitments.”
Cricketing ties between the two nations have been on hold since 2012-13, limited only to encounters in ICC and ACC tournaments — the most recent being the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia also released a statement expressing grief and outrage over the incident. “The cricketing community is shocked by the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam. We strongly condemn this cowardly act and extend heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this hour of tragedy,” Saikia said.
