India head coach Gautam Gambhir has made his stance clear with Pakistan. In a recent event in New Delhi, he said that as long as cross-border terrorism persists, there should be no cricket between India and Pakistan, not in bilateral series, not in ICC events, not even at the Asia Cup. Speaking at an ABP event in New Delhi on Tuesday, Gambhir responded strongly to a question on the future of India-Pakistan cricketing ties in light of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. “My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (cross-border terrorism) doesn't stop there should not be anything between India and Pakistan,” said Gambhir, putting national security ahead of cricketing spectacle. India and Pakistan have not played a full bilateral series since 2007 due to ongoing political tensions. Encounters are restricted to multi-nation tournaments like the World Cup or Asia Cup, often hosted in neutral venues, but Gambhir believes even these face-offs must stop until terrorism is eradicated. Also READ: IPL 2025: MI vs GT Clash Sparks Frenzy on Twitter His comments come shortly after the Indian government initiated a series of retaliatory measures in response to the April 22 attack in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, which targeted civilians, many of them tourists. “Not up to me, but we must not politicise this”: Gambhir backs government’s call While Gambhir made his personal views known, he was also careful to acknowledge that the final call rests with the Indian government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “Ultimately this is government's call whether we play them or not. I have said this before also, no cricket match or Bollywood or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens,” he said. He also stressed how the events like cricket and concert will keep happening but family is more important than anything else. “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.” Gambhir urged that decisions of national interest must be kept above entertainment and should not become subjects of political debate. With India set to co-host the T20 World Cup next year along with Sri Lanka, the question of whether the two rivals will face off remains uncertain. “This is not up to me, 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 politicise it,” he concluded. India’s matches against Pakistan in ICC events are already scheduled to be held in neutral venues until at least 2027, following prior security concerns. However, Gambhir’s stance makes it clear that even those arrangements may no longer be appropriate in the current climate. Notably, India are set to host the 2025 Women's World Cup and Pakistan will be playing all their matches in a neutral venue.