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A new crisis has emerged in the sports sphere between India and Pakistan. The Asian hockey championship, scheduled for October 27 in India, has sparked protests from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

PHF stated that the tournament must either be moved outside of India or all Pakistani matches must be held on a neutral venue. PHF Chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed Wani explained this decision as being made considering the current situation between the two countries and associated security issues.

He emphasized that such measures would allow players and staff to feel safe. Wani added that the team is ready to participate in competitions against all teams, including India, maintaining the sporting nature of the game away from political disagreements.

Punjab Governor Bhagwant Singh Mann had previously stated that there were no obstacles in multinational tournaments, and the Pakistani team could compete in the region.

According to Indian policy, bilateral series with Pakistan are prohibited, but Olympic charter rules permit the presence of Pakistani players in multilateral tournaments in India.

Hockey India Secretary General Bola Nat Singh noted that relations between the hockey federations of the two countries are very good, and players respect each other. He pointed out that this is the third instance in recent years where there has been a threat of Pakistan's exclusion from a tournament held in India.

Previously, Pakistan was also absent from the Asian Cup in Bihar and the Youth Men's Hockey World Championship in Tamil Nadu. If the situation is not resolved this time, it is possible that reserve teams, such as Oman or Bangladesh, will take their places.

The final match of the three-match T20 series between India and Afghanistan will take place on Thursday at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The Indian team has already won the previous two games, winning the series 2-0.

Thanks to the series victory, captain Shreyas Iyer intends to give a chance to players who were on the bench in the last matches. The main question is whether young player Vaibhav Suryavanshi will get the opportunity to debut in this final T20.

Besides Vaibhav Suryavanshi, two other players are on the bench who might get a chance to play in the third T20. Captain Shreyas Iyer wants to strengthen the team's preparation before the Asian Games by giving chances to Washington Sundar and Yashas Thakur.

Captain Shreyas Iyer previously stated that before the Asian Games, which start next week, he plans to test players who have not previously been given the opportunity to play. In this regard, there is great hope that Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be included in the starting lineup.

However, the team management faces the task of determining which position to place Vaibhav, as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are also in good form. An option is being discussed where Ishan Kishan might rest in this match, and Vaibhav would be tested at the third position. Regarding bowling, due to Varun Chakravarthy's injury, Ravi Kishan or Ravi Bishnoi are considered likely candidates.

For his part, the Afghanistan team does not seem to plan any major changes to its starting lineup. They aim to win this match to break the streak of losses before the Asian Games.

Potential team lineups were presented: for India — Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson/Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ishan Kishan/Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Verma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh. For Afghanistan — Sedikullah Atal, Rahmanullah Gurgaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Jadaran (captain), Darwish Rasooli, Ajmatullah Omarzai, Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nur Ahmad, Mujib Ur Rahman, Fazlhaq Faruqi, and Naveen-ul-Haq.

The full squads of both teams were also listed, including players such as Washington Sundar, Yashas Thakur, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and others.