Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to start from September 9, and the opening clash of the tournament will take place between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. The tournament will take place in a hybrid model where the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will remain the host of the mega event and the matches will take place in the UAE as India and Pakistan have mutually agreed to compete only at neutral venues till 2027 due to the prevailing cross-border tension between them.
Here's the schedule of the marquee event. The eight-team tournament is divided into two Groups, A and B. India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman are part of Group A, and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are part of Group B.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Sri Lanka |
| Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| UAE | Afghanistan |
| Oman | Hong Kong |
The tournament will host 19 matches. Hosts India will start their campaign against UAE on September 10, and the Men in Blue will take on arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14 during their second league match.
| Date | Day | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 9 | Tuesday | Afghanistan vs Hong Kong |
| Sept 10 | Wednesday | India vs UAE |
| Sept 11 | Thursday | Bangladesh vs Hong Kong |
| Sept 12 | Friday | Pakistan vs Oman |
| Sept 13 | Saturday | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka |
| Sept 14 | Sunday | India vs Pakistan |
| Sept 15 | Monday | Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong |
| Sept 16 | Tuesday | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan |
| Sept 17 | Wednesday | Pakistan vs UAE |
| Sept 18 | Thursday | Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan |
| Sept 19 | Friday | India vs Oman |
| Sept 20 | Saturday | Group B Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 |
| Sept 21 | Sunday | Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group A Qualifier 2 (likely India vs Pakistan) |
| Sept 22 | Monday | Rest Day |
| Sept 23 | Tuesday | Group A Qualifier 2 vs Group B Qualifier 1 |
| Sept 24 | Wednesday | Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 |
| Sept 25 | Thursday | Group A Qualifier 2 vs Group B Qualifier 2 |
| Sept 26 | Friday | Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 1 |
| Sept 28 | Sunday | Final |
India and Pakistan are in the same group, which means both will potentially face each other three times, once in the league stage, next in the Super 4 round and then possibly in the final. The Asia Cup is 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.
Earlier, Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), took to 'X' to make a formal announcement.
"I am delighted to confirm the dates of the ACC Men's Asia Cup 2025 in UAE. The prestigious tournament will take place from September 9th to 28th. We look to a spectacular display of cricket. Details schedule will be out soon," Naqvi posted.
The venue of the event was decided at an ACC meeting on July 24 in Dhaka. All 25 member nations attended the meeting.