Acting president Rajeev Shukla will be the lone Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official to attend the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, set to be played in Dubai on September 14. Ever since the India vs Pakistan fixture was declared, calls for boycotting the high-voltage clash grew louder as the BCCI was asked to withdraw the game in the light of Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

The social media has been flooded with anger attacks at the BCCI for going ahead with the IND vs PAK clash, following the Government of India’s approval to play in multi-nation tournaments and not in bilateral events. However, the BCCI seems to have taken a note of what’s going on in social media and decided to distance themselves from the encounter.

According to a report at Dainik Jagran, none of the BCCI officials except Shukla will be present at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday during the India vs Pakistan clash. The report stated that none of the BCCI officials have reached Dubai and their absence is being viewed as an “invincible boycott”. Earlier, during the India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, all the top BCCI officials were in attendance.

Secretary Devajit Saikia, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, treasurer Prabhtej Bhatia, and joint secretary Rohan Desai are the other office BCCI bearers.

Why Rajeev Shukla will be present when others won’t?

Besides being the acting president of BCCI, Shukla is also a member of the executive board at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). He will be joined by Pakistan Cricket Board chief and current ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi. Meanwhile, former BCCI secretary and ACC chairman, and current International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Jay Shah is unlikely to attend too as he is believed to be in the United States at the moment.

The report also quoted a BCCI official who reasoned that coming in front of the camera during the IND vs PAK clash would prompt another social media atmosphere against them. “We agreed to the match after getting permission from the government. If we come on camera during the match, then attempts would be made to create an atmosphere against us,” the newspaper quoted the BCCI official.