LAHORE, Pakistan: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi announced on Saturday that the Asia Cup 2025 will be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 28.
The confirmation puts an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding the tournament’s fate amid tensions between India and Pakistan.
The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012, and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral grounds as part of a hybrid model deal.
But already-frosty relations took a turn for the worse this year when the two nuclear-armed nations fought an intense four-day conflict, their worst standoff in decades.
The Asia Cup is played under the aegis of the ACC, which is currently headed by Mohsin Naqvi.
Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that the tournament will take place in the UAE from September 9 to September 28.
Naqvi said, “We are looking forward to witnessing some great cricket in the Asia Cup,” adding that the detailed schedule will be released soon.
In his post, Naqvi stated, “I am delighted to confirm the dates for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in UAE. The prestigious tournament will take place from September 9th to 28th. We look forward to a spectacular display of cricket! Detailed Schedule will be out soon.”
I am delighted to confirm the dates for the ACC Men's Asia Cup 2025 in UAE 🇦🇪 . The prestigious tournament will take place from September 9th to 28th. We look forward to a spectacular display of cricket! Detailed Schedule will be out soon. #Cricketwins
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) July 26, 2025
The five full members of the ACC — Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — earned automatic qualification to the tournament.
They are to be joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — the teams that secured their spots by finishing in the top three of the ACC men’s Premier Cup. The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round.
The previous edition of the event was in a 50-over format, but this year’s tournament was scheduled as a shorter-format event in preparation for next year’s T20 World Cup.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dismissed earlier concerns about India’s participation due to political tensions, confirming no restrictions on arch rivals’ clash in ICC or Asia Cup events.
It is worth noting that the strained ties between the PCB and BCCI have been well documented in recent years, with the latest flashpoint being India’s decision to skip the Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan.
The deadlock eventually led to a “fusion formula,” under which both boards reportedly agreed not to visit each other’s home soil for ICC events for the next three years. Instead, their matches would be staged at neutral venues.
The UAE has a successful track record in organising marquee cricket events — including past Asia Cups, the IPL, and World Cup qualifiers — along with its world-class infrastructure.
While other potential venues were briefly considered, they were deemed less viable due to diplomatic concerns, such as India’s recent trade tensions with Bangladesh and the fallout from the Pakistan-India clash cancellation during the World Championship of Legends.
