Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, announced on Saturday that the 2025 Asia Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9 to 28. The confirmation was shared via his official account on platform X (formerly Twitter).
The tournament, set to be played in the T20 format, will feature eight teams and serve as a prelude to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. According to reports by Cricbuzz, arch-rivals India and Pakistan are expected to be placed in the same group, setting the stage for a potential three clashes between the two teams—one in the group stage, one in the Super Four, and possibly again in the final, depending on their progress.
This scheduling follows the trend in recent editions of the Asia Cup, which has ensured at least one India-Pakistan game due to the absence of bilateral series between the two nations.
While specific venues are yet to be formally announced, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are likely to host all 19 matches of the tournament. The UAE has become a favored neutral venue for high-profile cricket tournaments involving India and Pakistan, especially amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
Cricketing ties between India and Pakistan have remained limited to multilateral tournaments due to long-standing political tensions. Just last week, a match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions at the World Championship of Legends (WCL) was canceled. Several Indian veterans, including Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, and Shikhar Dhawan, opted out of the fixture following public backlash against playing with former Pakistani players.
This controversy also unfolded in the backdrop of military escalations earlier this year following the Pahalgam terror attack, which further strained diplomatic ties.
India and Pakistan last faced each other in the 2024 Champions Trophy, where Virat Kohli led India to victory with a stunning century. India remained unbeaten in the tournament, eventually clinching the title in dominant fashion.
As anticipation builds, the 2025 Asia Cup promises high-octane cricket action, with the spotlight firmly on one of the sport’s most intense rivalries.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)