KEY POINTS
- Asia Cup 2025 starts Sep 9 in UAE, returning to the T20 format ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup
- India and Pakistan could clash up to three times, including a group-stage encounter on Sep 14
- The tournament features 19 matches across Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- India aim for a record-extending ninth Asia Cup title after winning the 2023 ODI edition
- Inaugural match to be played between Afghanistan and the host UAE on Tuesday
- All matches will start at 7:30 PST
ISLAMABAD: The 15th edition of the Asia Cup is all set to commence on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the return of the tournament in the T20 format for the first time since 2022.
This year’s edition carries added significance, acting as a crucial dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka next February.
The opening game will see Afghanistan face Hong Kong at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, setting the stage for a high-octane, three-week continental battle involving eight nations, including cricketing giants India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, as well as emerging sides UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.
Why UAE, not India
While India were originally slated to host the tournament, ongoing political tensions, particularly with Pakistan, forced the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to move the Asia Cup to a neutral venue.
The UAE, with a proven record of hosting major tournaments like the IPL and T20 World Cup, was the obvious and logistically sound choice.
India, however, remains the official host, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) overseeing key tournament logistics.
Tournament format and schedule
The Asia Cup 2025 will feature 19 matches, split across two venues: Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Sharjah misses out this time.
Teams are divided into two groups:
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong
The top two teams from each group progress to the Super Four (Sept 20–26), where they face each other in a round-robin format. The top two from this stage will contest the final on September 28 in Dubai.
T20 format returns
The Asia Cup has alternated formats since 2016, aligning with the upcoming ICC tournament. With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, this year’s edition is being played in the shortest format, adding pace, unpredictability, and excitement to every match.
India-Pakistan match
Few fixtures in world cricket ignite anticipation like India vs Pakistan, and fans could be treated to three encounters in this tournament:
- Group Stage: September 14, Dubai
- Super Four (if both qualify): September 21
- Final (if both qualify again): September 28
Despite the rivalry’s intensity, India and Pakistan have never met in an Asia Cup final.
Players to watch
Abhishek Sharma (India) – The explosive 24-year-old has a T20 strike rate of 193, and is touted as India’s next big thing.
Hasan Nawaz (Pakistan) – With a strike rate of 174, the 23-year-old is seen as a symbol of Pakistan’s evolving T20 template.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – The leg-spin maestro leads a balanced Afghan side with flair and experience.
Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka) – In red-hot form, Nissanka has notched eight 30+ scores in his last 10 T20Is.
Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh) – A strike bowler with raw pace and a strike rate of 17.5, key to Bangladesh’s hopes.
India aim for ninth title
Defending champions India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Shubman Gill as vice-captain. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah returns to the T20I fold amid intense speculation over his fitness.
India’s record in the Asia Cup is unmatched: 8 titles (1984, 1988, 1990–91, 1995, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2023), including last year’s dominant ODI win, where Mohammed Siraj’s six-wicket haul dismantled Sri Lanka in the final.
Tickets and fan experience
Ticket sales began online on August 29 via Platinumlist.net, and offline counters are now open:
- Dubai: Sports City Canal Parking (near DIS)
- Abu Dhabi: P3 parking area, Zayed Stadium
- Prices: Starting at AED 40 (Abu Dhabi), AED 50 (Dubai)
The India-Pakistan clash has driven ticket demand to record levels, with ACC warning fans against black market scams.
Match officials & commentary panel
Match Referees: Richie Richardson, Andy Pycroft
Umpires: Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Masudur Rahman, Virender Sharma among others
Commentary panel
English: Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman, Simon Doull, Robin Uthappa
Hindi: Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Ajay Jadeja, Saba Karim, Abhishek Nayar
Asia Cup 2025 schedule
Group Stage
9 Sept: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
10 Sept: India vs UAE
11 Sept: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
12 Sept: Pakistan vs Oman
13 Sept: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
14 Sept: India vs Pakistan
15 Sept: UAE vs Oman
15 Sept: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
16 Sept: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
17 Sept: Pakistan vs UAE
18 Sept: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
19 Sept: India vs Oman
Super 4
20 Sept: Group B Q1 vs Group B Q2
21 Sept: Group A Q1 vs Group A Q2
23 Sept: Group A Q2 vs Group B Q1
24 Sept: Group B Q2 vs Group A Q1
25 Sept: Group A Q2 vs Group B Q2
26 Sept: Group A Q1 vs Group B Q1
Final: 28 Sept
Asia Cup squads
Afghanistan
Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Bangladesh
Litton Das (c, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.
Hong Kong
Yasim Murtaza (c), Babar Hayat, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Nizakat Khan Mohammad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Ashish Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah (wk), Adil Mehmood, Haroon Arshad Mohammad, Ali Hassan, Shahid Wasif (wk), Mohammad Ghazanfar, Mohammad Waheed, Anas Khan, Ehsan Khan
India
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk).
Oman
Jatinder Singh (c), Hammad Mirza (wk), Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedara, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammed Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Shah, Faisal Shah, Muhammed Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmed, Samay Shrivastava.
Pakistan
Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Sri Lanka
Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana.
United Arab Emirates
Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh and Saghir Khan.
Nepal’s missed opportunity
Despite a strong showing in the ACC Premier Cup 2024, Nepal narrowly missed qualification, finishing fourth behind UAE, Hong Kong, and Oman.
With Asia’s best cricketers primed for T20 glory and old rivalries set to reignite under floodlights, the Asia Cup 2025 promises to be a blockbuster spectacle. For India, it’s a chance to cement regional supremacy; for others, it’s a shot at redemption and a proving ground before the T20 World Cup 2026.
