‘Commercial Interests Must Take A Backseat’: EaseMyTrip’s Nishant Pitti Opposes India-Pakistan Match In Asia Cup 2025

As the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the official host cities for the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, Nishant Pitti, founder & chairman of EaseMyTrip, has taken a strong and clear stand against India’s participation in matches involving Pakistan.

Responding to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s tweet, which criticised the government and BCCI for allowing an India-Pakistan fixture despite Operation Sindoor, Pitti wrote, “I don’t believe Indian players would participate, and certainly not with Indian brands sponsoring any match involving Pakistan.”

“When national sentiment is clear, commercial interests and sporting opportunities must take a backseat. We stood firm in WCL2025 by stepping away, and that decision still speaks louder than any scoreboard. Also, there is no official communication from BCCI about the same,” he added.

This is not the first time Pitti has voiced such a position. On July 20, he issued an official statement on EaseMyTrip’s stance, stating that despite entering a five-year sponsorship agreement with the World Championship of Legends (WCL), the company would not be associated with any match involving Pakistan.

“EaseMyTrip supports Team India, but we will not engage in any match featuring Pakistan. Bharat First. Always,” he had declared, adding that this position had been communicated to tournament organisers from the beginning.

Meanwhile, the ACC press release confirmed that the Asia Cup 2025 will run from 9th to 28th September, featuring eight teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong, China.

The tournament will have 19 T20 matches, with Dubai hosting 11 games and Abu Dhabi hosting 8.

The India vs. Pakistan fixture is scheduled for 14th September, with the possibility of rematches in the Super Four and Final.

While ACC President Mohsin Naqvi described the Asia Cup as “a celebration of Asian cricket,” Nishant Pitti’s tweet has brought the focus back to the tension between national sentiment and cricketing ties.

The opposition and many critics are strongly against India playing Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed on 22 April 2025, which has been linked to Pakistan-backed elements.