Gautam Gambhir is the head coach of senior men’s Indian Cricket Team. Indian Cricket Team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir believes that India should not have any cricketing ties with Pakistan. His opinions come in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. A group of terrorists opened fire in a tourist spot in Pahalgam and killed 26 innocent people.
A Pakistan-based terror group took responsibility for the attack. The Government of India has also taken strict actions over the matter. For instance, the Government of India has cancelled the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, shut down the Wagah-Attari border, and closed all diplomatic ties after the attack.
Notably, Indian Cricket Team does not play any bilateral cricket with Pakistan Cricket Team. Both nations have not faced each other in a bilateral series since 2013 due to severe political relations between both the countries. However, they both face each other only in the ICC and ACC tournaments. India haven’t even travelled to Pakistan for the ICC and ACC events in the recent years and have preferred neutral venues.
Gautam Gambhir Opposes India-Pakistan Cricket Ties Until Terrorism Ends
India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in the UAE was marked by a significant political backdrop. Although Pakistan was the official host of the tournament, the Indian team played all its matches in Dubai, avoiding any direct engagement in Pakistan.
On May 6, during an event hosted by Indian news channel ABP News in Delhi, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked whether India should play against Pakistan at neutral venues. Gambhir firmly expressed his stance, stating that India should never play against Pakistan until terrorism ceases.
“My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (terrorism) doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan. I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the lives of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens,” Gambhir declared.
He further emphasized the emotional impact of such losses, stating, “Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform, but nothing comes close to losing a loved one in your family.”
When asked if he would communicate his stance to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Gambhir clarified that the decision ultimately lies with the Indian government. He added, “Ultimately, this is the government’s decision whether we play them or not. This is not up to me, it’s not in my jurisdiction, this is for BCCI and more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not. Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicize it.”