ACC to announce schedule in early July; tournament likely to begin on September 10 in T20 format
New Delhi: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to take a final call on the Asia Cup 2025 next week, with the official schedule likely to be released in the first week of July, according to Cricbuzz. The tournament is set to be played in the T20 format and is expected to start on September 10.
Though India is the designated host, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is emerging as the favourite to host the tournament due to ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan. Sources suggest that a hybrid model is once again under serious consideration.
Participating Teams in Asia Cup 2025
The six teams expected to compete in this edition are:
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Promotional work for the tournament has reportedly already begun, even though the ACC has yet to make a formal announcement.
Hybrid Hosting Model on the Cards Again
If confirmed, this will not be the first time a hybrid format is used to navigate the India-Pakistan cricketing deadlock.
In the 2023 Asia Cup, Pakistan was the official host, but India refused to travel there.
As a compromise, India’s matches and the final were held in Sri Lanka.
A similar model was adopted for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India’s matches were shifted to UAE, and the final was also played there after India reached it.
This marked the first time an ICC event was held in a split-country format due to political reasons.
Geopolitical Tensions Affecting Cricket
The tournament’s future became uncertain after a terror attack in Pahalgam in April and India’s Operation Sindoor in May, which heightened tensions between the two nations. In the aftermath, several voices in India called for a complete boycott of Pakistan in multilateral cricket events.
In response, Pakistan announced it would not travel to India for any cricket tournament until the end of the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle, which extends till 2027.
India-Pakistan Clashes to Continue at Neutral Venues
Despite political standoffs, India and Pakistan will continue to face each other in ICC tournaments, but all their matches will now be held at neutral venues.
The Women’s ODI World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, but the India vs Pakistan match is scheduled for Colombo, not India.
The Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in England, poses no such issue as it’s already a neutral location.
This approach ensures high-profile clashes continue to draw global viewership without direct bilateral engagement.
Looking Ahead: Schedule Expected in July
With just over two months left for the scheduled start, the ACC is under pressure to finalize the venue, fixtures, and logistics. All signs point to a hybrid model based in the UAE, which has successfully hosted such events in the past.
If confirmed, the Asia Cup 2025 will once again test cricket’s ability to balance sport and diplomacy in South Asia’s most volatile rivalry.
Stay tuned for the official announcement, expected in the first week of July.
