Asia Cup 2025 Moved To UAE After Pahalgam Terror Attack: India Vs Pakistan On September 14

Dubai [UAE]: The Men's Asia Cup 2025 will be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 28, ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed, according to ESPNcricinfo. The tournament will follow the T20I format and feature eight teams -- the five full members of the Asian Cricket Council (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), along with the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong that tournament, India played all its matches, including the one against host Pakistan, in Dubai. India went on to win the final, which was also held in Dubai. It is still unclear whether India and Pakistan will be placed in the same group for the upcoming Asia Cup. India is the defending champion of the Asia Cup. In 2023, India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, and Sri Lanka was picked as the neutral venue for India's fixtures.

India to play Pakistan on September 14 

The Asia Cup's future looked uncertain after India-Pakistan relations hit rock bottom in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, sparking widespread calls for Pakistan's exclusion from global cricket events. The BCCI maintained that any decision on participation would only come after discussions with the Indian government. PCB chairman and ACC president Mohsin Naqvi reportedly announced that the Asia Cup will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 29, 2025.

This year's Asia Cup will feature 19 matches in total, with six teams competing for the title. India and Pakistan have been grouped together, setting up a high-voltage clash, while the other group will consist of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan May, various reports and speculations stormed social media, suggesting that India had declined to participate in this year's Asia Cup and the Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. The reports claimed that the BCCI had informed the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) of its decision to withdraw from both events -- the Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka next month, and the Men's Asia Cup, slated for September. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia categorically denied the claims, stating that no such conversations or taken any steps regarding the ACC events. The BCCI secretary labelled the reports as“speculative and imaginary.”

Despite the BCCI owning the hosting rights for the 2025 Asia Cup, the competition will take place at a neutral venue. The exact stadiums and cities for the matches have not yet been confirmed. This arrangement is similar to the 2023 edition, which followed a hybrid model after India declined to tour Pakistan. That year, Sri Lanka staged nine matches, including the final, while Pakistan hosted four games.

A comparable setup was used earlier in the year for the Champions Trophy, where India's fixtures were shifted to the UAE after the International Cricket Council decided that any tournament officially hosted by India or Pakistan will follow a hybrid model until at least 2028.

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