PAKISTAN-INDIA SET TO CLASH AS ASIA CUP 2025 LIKELY TO BEGIN ON THIS DATE
The tentative date for the commencement of the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 has been revealed, with arch-rivals India and Pakistan set to face off in a high-stakes encounter, Cricbuzz reported.
According to the report, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is set to release the schedule for the six-team tournament at the start of July.
Moreover, the tournament is set to commence in the second week of September in the T20 format. With nothing official yet, the most probable date for the start of the Asia Cup 2025 is 10 September.
The teams featuring in the tournament include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Since India is the official host for this year’s event, the tournament is likely to be played in the UAE, which is expected to host the tournament due to political tensions in the region, with discussions surrounding a hybrid format.
Earlier, there were speculations that India would withdraw from the Asia Cup 2025 due to soaring tensions with Pakistan.
A few days ago, the Indian media reported that India and Pakistan will not face off in the group stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with the source close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealing that this issue will be discussed at the annual ICC conference.
For the unversed, the tensions between India and Pakistan escalated in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
It is worth noting that the strained ties between the PCB and BCCI have been well documented in recent years, with the latest flashpoint being India’s decision to skip the Champions Trophy hosted by Pakistan.
The deadlock eventually led to a “fusion formula,” under which both boards reportedly agreed not to visit each other’s home soil for ICC events for the next three years. Instead, their matches would be staged at neutral venues.
