Reports: ACC plans to host Asia Cup in second week of September

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is planning to hold the Asia Cup 2025 in the second week of September, with September 10 being the tentative start date. The tournament, to be played in the T20 format, is expected to feature six teams, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the UAE. The final schedule is likely to be released in early July, after an official decision is expected next week.

UAE frontrunner to host entire event

Although India is the designated host for this edition of the Asia Cup, due to the political tensions with Pakistan, after the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India’s Operation Sindoor in May, it has made it unlikely for the tournament to be played on Indian soil. Meanwhile, the UAE has come out as the frontrunner to host the entire event. According to the Cricbuzz report, promotional work for the tournament has already begun, even though the ACC is yet to confirm the venue formally.

Notably, there is also discussion around using a hybrid model, which has been used previously in the 2023 edition of the Asia Cup. While the tournament was hosted by Pakistan, India refused to travel across the border, leading the ACC to move all India matches, including the final, to Sri Lanka, where the Men in Blue eventually lifted their eighth Asia Cup title. In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where Pakistan was the official host, had to be moved into a hybrid format with India’s matches being played in the UAE. This was the first ICC event conducted in such a manner.

India-Pakistan to lock horns in Colombo

Despite the strained bilateral relations, India and Pakistan continue to meet in multilateral tournaments. Recently, the ICC announced fixtures for two major women’s events, the Women’s ODI World Cup (to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka) and the Women’s T20 World Cup (to be hosted by England). Notably, the India-Pakistan games in these events will be played at neutral venues, with the ODI game scheduled in Colombo and the T20 game in Edgbaston.