Cricket fans could witness up to three more thrilling India versus Pakistan matches later this year. The Asia Cup is provisionally planned for September by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), and it’s likely to be held in the UAE.
This year’s Asia Cup will be in the fast-paced T20 format, featuring a total of 19 matches. The current schedule points to the tournament taking place between the second and fourth weeks of September.
Originally, India was supposed to host the event. However, due to the complex relationship between India and Pakistan, the ACC has opted for a neutral venue. While the final location hasn’t been decided, the UAE and Sri Lanka are the leading contenders. India will remain the official host despite the change in location.
The ACC recently decided that future tournaments, when it’s India’s or Pakistan’s turn to host, should also be held in a neutral country. This decision aims to avoid controversies related to teams not wanting to travel to each other’s countries, a situation recently seen during the Champions Trophy.
Although September weather might pose challenges for cricket, the T20 format allows for matches to be played in the cooler evenings. Eight teams, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan, will compete. Nepal, who played in the 2023 Asia Cup, will unfortunately miss out this time due to not qualifying.
Similar to the previous edition, the teams will be split into two groups, with India and Pakistan predictably placed in the same group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage, and then the top two from there will compete in the final. This format guarantees at least one India-Pakistan match in the group stage, another potential match in the Super Four, and a possible third in the final.
The current cycle includes four Asia Cups until 2031. Following the 2025 edition (19 matches), Bangladesh will host the 2027 edition (13 ODI matches). The 2029 edition will be a T20 format tournament (19 matches) hosted by Pakistan but played at a neutral venue. Finally, Sri Lanka will host the 2031 edition, which will be in ODI format (13 matches).
