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Pakistan and India player in action during match of Asia Cup at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 24, 2021. — Reuters
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The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced the schedule of the men’s Asia Cup 2025, which has kept fierce rivals Pakistan and India in Group A.
According to the grouping revealed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Group A will consist of Pakistan, India, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Group B includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
ACC President Mohsin Naqvi announced that a very expected tournament is set to begin on September 9 and will be held in the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates).
Naqvi, in a post on X, also said, “I am happy to confirm the dates of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in the United Arab Emirates.”
The president of the ACC announced that the prestigious tournament will be held from September 9 to September 28. “We look forward to a wonderful cricket display,” he said, adding that a detailed schedule will be released soon.
Naqvi’s announcement came in Dhaka 48 hours after the ACC came to its annual general meeting (AGM) – where all 25 member countries participated.
Initially, after threatening to boycott the meeting, the BCCI eventually joined the operation. Vice President Rajiv Shukla represented the board at the meeting.
The presidency of the meeting, Naqvi, confirmed, “We have decided to work together for the betterment of cricket.
The next edition will follow the T20 format, which will work as a preparation program for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will host India and Sri Lanka in February.
Five full members of the ACC – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka acquired automatic qualifications in the tournament.
They will include Hong Kong, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The teams who secured their locations by winning three of the top three of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
The eight teams tournament will continue with the curtains between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 9.
On the other hand, Pakistan will launch its campaign against Oman on September 12 before defending the defending champions India on September 14.
The remaining group of the Green Shirts is scheduled for September 17 against the United Arab Emirates.
After the completion of the group stage, the top two teams from each pond will qualify for the Super Four, which means Pakistan and India can compete against each other in the Asia Cup on September 21.
After the end of the Super Four stage, the top two teams in the standing will qualify for the final, which is to be played on September 28.
The former edition of the program was in 50 overs format, but this year’s tournament was scheduled as a short format event in the preparation of next year’s T20 World Cup in India.
In fact, the edition of 2025 has now been transferred to the United Arab Emirates due to the ongoing political tension between India and Pakistan. Despite holding hosting rights, India will not start the program after the PCB refuses to send its team across the border.
Earlier this year, the Board of Control for Cricket for India (BCCI) and the PCB reached a mutual agreement not to play in each other’s countries, indicating the need for a neutral location.
The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a priority host since, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi expected to compete mostly matches.
The United Arab Emirates has a successful track record in organizing market cricket programs-which includes past Asia Cup, IPL, and the World Cup qualifiers.
Although other possible locations were briefly considered, they were considered less viable due to diplomatic concerns, such as the recent trade tension in India and the cancellation of the Pakistan India confrontation during the World Championship adjacent to Bangladesh.
