The Asian Cricket Council has officially announced that the United Arab Emirates will host the 2025 Asia Cup cricket tournament. The decision was confirmed following a meeting in Dhaka on July 24, where ACC president Mohsin Naqvi declared the UAE as the tournament venue.
Scheduled to take place from Tuesday, September 9 to Sunday, September 28, the Asia Cup will feature several thrilling matches, including a highly anticipated showdown between India and Pakistan. Although official venues are yet to be finalized, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium is expected to host major games, including the India-Pakistan clash.
Dubai’s International Cricket Stadium previously hosted all India matches during the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year, while Sharjah and Abu Dhabi have also been popular cricket venues in the UAE, hosting international fixtures such as the Women’s T20 last year.
India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A alongside Oman and the hosts UAE. This setup almost guarantees another intense India-Pakistan encounter in Dubai, reminiscent of the ICC Champions Trophy face-off earlier this year.
Initially, India was slated to host the tournament, but due to ongoing tensions between the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards, the event was relocated to the UAE. Unlike the ICC Champions Trophy which had matches both in Pakistan and Dubai, the Asia Cup 2025 will be fully held in the UAE.
The tournament groups are as follows: Group A comprises India Pakistan Oman and UAE; Group B features Afghanistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. Afghanistan Bangladesh India Pakistan and Sri Lanka qualified automatically as full ACC members, while Hong Kong Oman and UAE earned their places through the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
Each team will play single T20 matches against other teams in their group, with the top two teams progressing to the Super Four stage. This stage will feature four teams in a round-robin format, and the two best teams will compete in the final scheduled for September 28.
Given the stature of India and Pakistan in the tournament, there is a strong chance of multiple encounters, potentially including the Super Four stage and the final, if both teams advance.
The Super Four fixtures include key matches on September 20 21 23 24 25 and 26 leading up to the grand final. Tickets for the Asia Cup 2025 will be released once venues are confirmed and are expected to be reasonably priced based on past ICC event trends, although the India-Pakistan game may command a premium.
For updated ticket information and venue announcements, fans are advised to follow Time Out Dubai and official ACC communications.
