T20 World Cup 2021 | Cannot cancel India vs Pakistan match, says Rajeev Shukla

India are scheduled to face Pakistan on October 24 in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. India have won all five games against the neighbours in the T20 World Cups since 2007. India and Pakistan have played only one bilateral series after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Recently, Union Minister Giriraj Singh had demanded the cancellation of India-Pakistan due to the tense relationship between the two countries. 

However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reckoned that in a tournament organised by the ICC, a country cannot back out from playing against another country. He further made it clear that the match between India and Pakistan will be played according to the schedule, and the game cannot be cancelled.

"We strongly condemn the killings (J&K). Strict action should be taken against terror organisations. As far as the match is concerned, under ICC's international commitments you can't refuse to play against anyone. You have to play in ICC tournaments," Rajeev Shukla was quoted as saying by new agency ANI. 

Just another of game of cricket 

Meanwhile, India captain Virat Kohli during a press conference on Saturday, said that barring the hype around sale of tickets, he approaches any match against arch-rivals Pakistan as a normal game of cricket. 

“I honestly never felt so,” Kohli replied when asked about his feeling facing Pakistan. 

“I have just approached this game as another game of cricket and I know there is a lot of hype around this game, more so with ticket sales and demands of tickets. 

“… and right now, value of those tickets are ridiculously high and that’s all I know, my friends are demanding tickets right left and centre and I am saying, ‘no’," Kohli had said.