Asia Cup Set for September 10 Start; UAE Likely Host Amid India-Pakistan Tensions

Birmingham: Despite earlier uncertainties fueled by tensions between India and Pakistan, the Asia Cup is now expected to proceed. Sources indicate that the tournament is tentatively scheduled to commence on September 10. While India is officially the host, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the anticipated venue.

According to a senior BCCI official, details surrounding the tournament are still speculative. However, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is likely to release the schedule for the six-team tournament in early July.

The ACC previously announced the postponement of the ACC Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup, initially planned for June 6, 2025, in Sri Lanka. This decision followed consultations regarding concerns raised by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board about adverse weather conditions and the spread of chikungunya in the region.

With the T20 World Cup slated for February-March of the following year in India and Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format.

Alongside India and Pakistan, the participating teams will include Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Sony Liv, the tournament's official broadcaster, has already launched promotional activities. The tournament's future was previously uncertain after the Pahalgam terror attack on June 22, followed by India's Operation Sindoor in May.

Given the ACC's decision that Asia Cup hosting duties alternate between India and Pakistan, and that tournaments should be held at a neutral venue rather than a hybrid model, the UAE is the most probable location.

Notably, despite growing calls within India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) recent schedules indicate that the women's teams of India and Pakistan are scheduled to compete in the ODI World Cup (hosted by India & Sri Lanka) in Colombo on October 5, and subsequently in the 2026 T20 World Cup on June 14 at Edgbaston in England.

In May, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia refuted reports that the BCCI intended to withdraw from all tournaments organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to isolate Pakistan, due to escalating tensions between the two nations.

Saikia clarified that the BCCI had not discussed or taken any steps regarding the upcoming ACC events and that reports were speculative. The board's immediate focus remains on the ongoing IPL and the subsequent series against England, for both men's and women's teams.