2025 Asia Cup Preview: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) have already announced the schedule for the Asia Cup 2025, which will start from September 9. Afghanistan will play the tournament opener against Hong Kong at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Team India will start their campaign against UAE on next day at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know about the tournament structure, participating teams, and venues
Eight teams participating in the tournament are divided into two groups A and B. Teams that are part of the same group can potentially face each other in the mega event, once in the league stage, next in the Super 4 round and then possibly in the final.
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Sri Lanka |
| Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| UAE | Afghanistan |
| Oman | Hong Kong |
Asia Cup 2025 qualification scenario
ALSO READ: Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know about the tournament structure, participating teams, and venues
Each team will play the others in their group during the initial stage. The top two teams from each group will move on to the next phase, known as the Super Four.
In the Super Four stage, these four teams will face off against each other in a round-robin format, meaning each team plays the other three once. The two best-performing teams from this round will then meet in the final to battle for the trophy.
Why the Asia Cup 2025 will take place in the T20 format
The Asia Cup is known as a rehearsal for the ICC World Cup, so the tournament will take place in T20 format because of next year's Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Why Asia Cup 2025 taking place in a hybrid model?
India has been the host of the tournament since the Rohit Sharma-led side won the last edition of the mega event, which was played in Sri Lanka in the ODI format. Team India won the title, defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a one-sided clash at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The tournament will take place in a hybrid model because of a contract between PCB and BCCI to play against each other at a neutral venue.