The highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match on September 14, 2025, in Dubai has ignited political controversy in India.

Shiv Sena (UBT), a political party in Maharashtra, has strongly opposed the match. Sanjay Raut, a prominent leader and MP from the party, has criticized the decision to play against Pakistan, calling it an act of "treason" and "shamelessness". In protest, a Shiv Sena-UBT leader reportedly smashed a television. While specific details about the leader and the act of smashing a TV were not available in the search results, the overall sentiment of protest was clear. The party's women's wing is set to launch a "Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan," a campaign where women will express their outrage. The slogan for the protest is "Sindoor ke samman mai, Shiv Sena maidan mai" which translates to "Shiv Sena hits the streets to honour vermilion". They also plan to send vermilion (sindoor) to Prime Minister Modi. Raut questioned how cricket matches with Pakistan can be allowed when the "pain, grief and anger of the Pahalgam victims' families still linger". He was referring to the "Operation Sindoor", in which 26 women lost their husbands.

Other political figures have also weighed in on the controversy. TMC's (All India Trinamool Congress) Mahua Moitra has targeted BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). However, the specifics of her statements and actions were not available in the search results. The BJP, on the other hand, has accused Shiv Sena-UBT of hypocrisy, with a spokesperson stating that Pakistani flags were hoisted in Shiv Sena's processions during the Lok Sabha elections. The spokesperson further added that the India-Pakistan match, being part of an international series, did not involve Indian players going to Pakistan or inviting them to India.

Despite the political uproar, the Supreme Court has refused to stay the match. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi rejected the request to halt the game.