Vikrant Gupta’s controversial remarks: Why is India really refusing to play in Pakistan?

After India refused to play in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, citing security concerns, a famous Indian sports journalist, Vikrant Gupta, made a controversial statement that has sparked criticism on social media.

Speaking on a cricket website’s social media platform, Vikrant Gupta said, “India has given Pakistan a list of terrorist organizations and individuals. If Pakistan had taken action against them, maybe our government would have agreed to send the team.”

He further referred to Indian renowned religious scholar Dr. Zakir Naik, who was declared a state guest by Pakistan. He said, “By giving Naik this status, Pakistan shot itself in the foot.”

This statement by the Indian sports journalist was met with heavy criticism on social media. Many users accused Vikrant Gupta of bias and promoting political narratives. One user remarked, “Pakistan also expressed concerns about India’s actions in Kashmir, but still sent its team to the 2023 World Cup, keeping politics separate from sports.”

Several users accused the Indian cricket board (BCCI) of using journalists like Vikrant Gupta to justify India’s decision not to send its team to Pakistan. A user wrote, Vikrant Gupta is saying anything to hide India’s extremist face because BCCI instructed him to justify the decision of not playing in Pakistan.

Pakistani fans criticized the Indian government and BCCI for mixing politics with sports. They argued that such actions harm the spirit of sports and international relations.