DUBAI (Kashmir English): The Asia Cricket Council’s (ACC) Men’s Asia Cup 2025 tournament starts today (Sept 9) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Afghanistan and Hong Kong facing each other in the opener.
The tournament will be played from September 9-28 while India and Pakistan are set to clash in a high-voltage game on September 14.
In addition to India, the Green Shirts will play Oman on September 12 and the UAE on September 17.
Pakistan, India, Oman and the UAE will make up Group A, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are part of Group B.
The group stage will be followed by a super four stage while the final match will be played on September 28.
The tournament was originally scheduled to be hosted by India but it was relocated due to logistical and political challenges, though India is expected to retain the hosting rights.
Both the Pakistan and India were reportedly unwilling to play on each other’s soil, so a neutral venue such as the UAE was viewed as a practical compromise. Both nations also played the 2025 ICC events and the 2023 Asia Cup under a similar hybrid model.
Asia Cup 2025 full schedule
Group Stages
Fixture Date Group
Afghanistan vs Hong Kong 9 September Group B
India vs UAE 10 September Group A
Bangladesh vs Hong Kong 11 September Group B
Pakistan vs Oman 12 September Group A
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka 13 September Group B
Pakistan vs India 14 September Group A
UAE vs Oman 15 September Group A
Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong 15 September Group B
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan 16 September Group B
Pakistan vs UAE 17 September Group A
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 18 September Group B
India vs Oman 19 September Group A
Super 4s Stage
B1 vs B2 20 September, Saturday
A1 vs A2 21 September, Sunday
A2 vs B1 23 September, Tuesday
A1 vs B2 24 September, Wednesday
A2 vs B2 25 September, Thursday
A1 vs B1 26 September, Friday
Final 28 September, Sunday
The Asia Cup 2025 is expected to serve as a crucial build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026, giving teams the perfect platform to review their squads and strategies.
