On Saturday, August 02, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the hosting venues for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2025.

All 19 matches of the 8-team tournament will be played in a T20I format. The opening clash between Afghanistan and Hong Kong will be played on September 09 (Tuesday) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Mohsin Naqvi— the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the current ACC president hopes that the upcoming 17th edition of the tournament will set new standards for superiority.

Amidst the uncertainties in the India vs Pakistan matches, the ACC has scheduled the highly intense rivalry on September 14 (Sunday) at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.

Why was the Hosting Venue Shifted from India to the UAE?

Initially, India, as the main host, was set to host the Asia Cup 2025. Due to the increasing cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attacks, the tournament was completely relocated to a neutral venue rather than following a hybrid model.

To ensure the smooth logistics and participation of all teams, the ACC preferred highly successful neutral cricketing venues like the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Asia Cup 2025: Number of Matches to be Hosted by Dubai and Abu Dhabi

While Abu Dhabi will host 8 matches (Group Stages: 7 and Super Fours: 1), Dubai will host 11 matches (Group Stages: 5, Super Fours: 5, and Final: 1).

ACC President About UAE Hosting Asia Cup 2025

Mohsin Naqvi gave a confident statement that hosting the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE would help to add excitement to one of the most dynamic cricketing communities:

“Yeah! Asia Cup isn’t just a tournament, rather a celebration for the entire Asian Cricket. As the UAE hosts the tournament, it adds a special layer of enthusiasm to one of the most promising cricketing hubs. Especially, Abu Dhabi and Dubai promise to guarantee a smooth and world-class experience not only for players, but also for fans and broadcasters as well.

We are confident enough that the upcoming edition in 2025 will raise new benchmarks for outstanding achievements as well as further improve the bonding between the sport and millions of dedicated supporters across Asia,” the ACC president said.

Eight Participating Teams in the Asia Cup 2025

India is placed alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE in Group A, while Group B comprises teams like Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. 

Will India Compete Against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025?

Recently, the Indian government has provided clearance by following a different approach of not interlinking sports and politics. Therefore, the Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, conveyed that the country has no issues playing matches against Pakistan in international tournaments, except the bilateral series.

With India confirmed as the hosts for the Olympics in 2036, it becomes important to offer support to global sports and declare their unrestricted method of working with all nations.

Previously, there were uncertainties about whether the Indian government would approve the India-Pakistan matches. These tensions escalated to an unimaginable level after a recent military conflict between these two nations. India launched a military operation named Operation Sindoor to give a counter-attack response after the terror attacks in Pahalgam, where 26 Indians were killed by Pakistani terrorists.

Asia Cup 2025 Schedule: Date, Venue, and Timings

As the hosting venues have been confirmed, let’s take a glance at the detailed schedule of the Asia Cup 2025:

NOTE: All the matches in the Asia Cup 2025 will start at 06 pm Local timings / 07:30 pm IST, except the UAE vs Oman match on September 15, which begins at 04 pm Local / 05:30 pm IST. However, the Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong on the same day will follow the regular timings.