Asia Cup Schedule: After many days of waiting and excitement, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the full schedule of Asia Cup 2025 on Saturday, 26 July 2025. The 8-team tournament will start on September 9 and its final match will be played on September 28. Hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the tournament will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup to be held next year, this time the Asia Cup will be played in T20 format, with a total of 18 matches, including the final.
Tournament format and teamsThis time 8 teams are participating in the tournament, which are divided into two groups:
- Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
- Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong
Each team will play once with the other three teams of its group. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super-4 round. In the Super-4, each team will play one match against the other three teams. The top two teams of this round will make it to the final, which will be held on September 28.
Tournament scheduleThe tournament will open on September 9 with a match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The Indian team will start its campaign against UAE on September 10. India's group stage schedule is as follows:
- September 10: India vs UAE
- September 14: India vs Pakistan
- September 19: India vs Oman
India-Pakistan clashAs expected, India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group, increasing the possibility of an exciting clash between the two in the tournament. Both teams will face each other on September 14 in the group stage. If both teams reach the Super-4 round, they will clash once again on September 21. After this, if both teams make it to the final, there will be a historic match for the trophy on September 28. This will be the first time that India and Pakistan will clash for the title in the Asia Cup final.
Significance of the tournamentThe Asia Cup 2025 not only promises exciting cricket but is also important for preparations for next year's T20 World Cup. The three possible matches between India and Pakistan will be a source of excitement for cricket fans. The presence of hosts like UAE and emerging teams like Oman, Hong Kong will make the tournament even more interesting.