The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asia Cup 2025 will begin in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, with seven countries hoping to unseat India as continental champions.
The tournament, which is customarily organised every two years, was last hosted in Sri Lanka in 2023, when India defeated the hosts to win the title in Colombo.
When and where will the Asia Cup be held? Ā
Afghanistan will play Hong Kong at Abu Dhabiās Zayed Cricket Stadium to start the tournament on Tuesday, and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the final on Sept 28.
The entire tournament, which consists of 19 matches, will take place at the two locations; Sharjah will not be included.
What is Asia Cupās complete schedule of matches?
The tournamentās complete schedule of matches is available here.
Why isnāt the Asia Cup being held in India?
According to the hosting rights schedule, India was supposed to host the competition. Due to the recent India and Pakistan conflict, the tournament is being held in the United Arab Emirates, even though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still the gameās official host.Ā
Prior to Pakistan hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, the two neighbours decided to exclusively play each other in international cricket tournaments at neutral locations. The ACC chose to hold the full tournament in the UAE due to the logistical challenges and the tournamentās small size.
Format of Asia Cup 2025 and teams participating
There are two groups of the eight participating countries:
Group A: Oman, UAE, Pakistan, and India
Group B: Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan
The tournament will be played in two group stages, followed by the final.
The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Four stage after the first group round, where all teams compete against one another in a round-robin format
The top two teams at the conclusion of the Super Four stage will proceed to the finals.
Check out the complete squad for all eight teams here.
Why is Asia Cup being played in T20 format?
The Asia Cup was played in the 50-over one-day international (ODI) format until its 12th edition. However, because the Asia Cup was a few weeks ahead of the ICC tournament, the ACC chose to change the format to Twenty20 for the 2016 edition to aid countries in getting ready for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
To align with the ICC World Cup that follows, the Asia Cup has since switched between the two white-ball cricket forms, T20 and ODI.
This yearās tournament will be followed by the T20 World Cup in February 2026, whereas Indiaās victory in Sri Lanka in 2023 was followed by the 50-over World Cup a month later.
Why is Nepal missing?
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are the permanent members of the ACC, and they were given five of the eight spots available for the 2025 Asia Cup. Nepal is placed fourth in the ACC Premier Cup 2024, and the remaining three were given to the top three teams.
India vs Pakistan may happen three times, when are the matches?
At international sporting events, particularly cricket tournaments, India and Pakistan are accustomed to being the centre of attention.
The fact that both sides are paired together at major events to guarantee at least one India vs Pakistan sellout game is no longer surprising, but the Asia Cup organisers have gone one step further by attempting to squeeze in an additional match by implementing a round-robin style Super Four round. As a result, in the last three Asia Cups, the two sides have met twice.
The teams have never faced off in the final, though, thus luck and outcomes have not favoured the organisers in the tournamentās 16 prior editions.
Thus, it is possible for India and Pakistan to play each other three times at the Asia Cup. Group A will meet for the first time on Sept 14 in Dubai. They will rematch at the same location on Sept 21 if both make it to the Super Four stage.
If both teams qualify, cricket fans will get the opportunity to watch a third and final India vs Pakistan match in two weeks on Sept28.
Asia Cupās history and winners
To promote cricket in the continent and unite regional teams through tournaments like the Asia Cup, the ACC was established in 1983. India defeated Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the ODI tournament at the inaugural event, which took place in the UAE in 1984.
Due to the tense ties between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute, Pakistan withdrew from the competition in 1990, ending its biennial status. Sport was still influenced by politics, and the 1993 Asia Cup was cancelled because the South Asian powerhouses could not patch things up. The UAE has hosted the tournament twice in the last three editions as a neutral host, although India flew to Pakistan for the 2008 edition.
With eight titles under their belt, holders India are the most successful squad. With six titles under their belt, Sri Lanka is not far behind.
Bangladesh and Afghanistan have never taken home the trophy, but with two-time winners Pakistan and Sri Lanka having a rough 2025, this tournament might be their greatest chance to life the Asia Cup.
India and its favourite players
With players like skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah among its ranks, India is a clear favourite. India has several options because Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav are eager to take advantage of the slow wickets, which are anticipated to favour spinners.
How can cricket fans purchase Asia Cup tickets?
Tickets are available for purchase online or in person at one of the booths at both locations in the UAE.
How to livestream the Asia Cup?
Several matches, notably India vs Pakistan and the finals, will be live streamed.
The Sony Sports Network in India will broadcast live all 19 Asia Cup 2025 matches. Besides, the tournament can watched live on the Sony Liv app and website.Ā