India and Pakistan are set to clash in the Asia Cup 2025 on 14 September. The continental tournament, which will be played in the T20 format, is scheduled to take place from 9 to 28 September.
On Saturday, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi officially confirmed the tournament dates.
A total of 19 matches will be contested in this edition of the Asia Cup, featuring six teams. India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same group, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have been placed in the other group.
The competition will be hosted across two venues — Abu Dhabi and Dubai — in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) holds the hosting rights, the tournament will be staged at a neutral venue due to ongoing cross-border tensions involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The specific venues for individual matches are yet to be finalised. Notably, the previous edition of the Asia Cup was held in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to Pakistan, the hosts of the 2023 tournament. Sri Lanka hosted nine matches, including the final, while Pakistan hosted four.
Earlier this year, the Champions Trophy was also held in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to Pakistan. India’s matches were played in the UAE after the International Cricket Council announced that tournaments hosted by India or Pakistan will be held in a hybrid model until 2028.
- Asia Cup 2025 Groups
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong
Asia Cup 2025 Format
Two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage. In the Super Fours, each team will face the other three once. Two teams from the Super Four stage will play the final.
India and Pakistan can meet as many as three times in the Asia Cup. While their group stage meeting is scheduled for 14 September, they can meet once again on 22 September if they qualify together for the Super Four stage. The broadcasters will be hoping for an India vs Pakistan final, which has never happened before in the history of the tournament.
