While the Indian government has allowed Pakistani players to visit, it has maintained a sports ban on bilateral events such as cricket.
Published May 6, 2026
Pakistani athletes and teams will be able to participate in multilateral events hosted by India, but bilateral events will remain exempt, India’s Sports Ministry announced on Wednesday.
India also said that visa procedures for athletes and officials will be simplified, while officials of international sports governing bodies will be granted multi-entry visas.
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“In respect of international and multilateral events, whether within India or abroad, we will abide by the practices of international sports bodies and the interests of our national athletes,” the ministry said in a memorandum.
“It is also important to consider that India is emerging as a reliable venue to host international sporting events.”
India is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and is also in the running for the 2036 Olympics and the 2038 Asian Games in Ahmedabad.
India and Pakistan have been in a military conflict that nearly snowballed into a full-scale war last year.
Bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbors has long been frozen, with the two sides having not played a full series since 2012-13 and currently playing mainly at neutral venues.
India were co-hosts of the T20 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, but Pakistan played all their matches in Sri Lanka, including the group matches against India.
“As far as bilateral sporting events in each other’s countries are concerned, Indian teams will not participate in competitions in Pakistan. We will also not allow Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry added.
