The Supreme Court declined to urgently list a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking cancellation of the India vs Pak Asia Cup match scheduled on September 14th in Dubai.
Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Boshnoi were presented with a plea filed by four law aspirants led by Uravshi Jain. The Supreme Court bench maintained that the match must go as planned.
The petitioners' counsel had requested the case to be listed for Friday (September 12) ahead of the match scheduled this Sunday, i.e., September 14th. The counsel had submitted, "The match is on Sunday. Please list it for tomorrow."
The Supreme Court bench had responded, "The match must go on."
However, the lawyer kept on persisting, saying, "I may have a bad case, but please get it listed." The apex bench firmly declined, "No, nothing."
Advocates Sneha Rani, Abhishek Verma, and Md. Anas Chaudhary, through their petition, raised concerns over the appropriateness of organising a cricket match with Pakistan amid the recent political tensions between the neighboring nations.
The petitioners had argued that a cricket match between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, which claimed the lives of Indian civilians and soldiers, would deliver a message that conflicts with national dignity and public sentiment.
With the PIL, the petitioners highlighted that cricket should not preside over national interests, the lives of the civilians, or the sacrifices made by army personnel.
They also sought directions for the implementation of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, as a part of their legal submission.
In the meanwhile, Team India has won its first T20 match against UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, crushing the hosts by 9 wickets. All charged up, the team will next face Pakistan in its second appearance.