When the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asian Cup 2025 unfolds in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 9th, seven countries aim to abdicate India as continental champions.
The tournaments are traditionally held every two years, with Sri Lanka holding the previous edition in 2023, when India defeated the hosts to lift the Colombo crown.
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This is a comprehensive guide to the Asian Cup 2025.
When and where will the Asian Cup be held?
The tournament will be held against Hong Kong at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 9th, and close with the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 28th.
The two venues will host the entire 19-match tournament, with Sharjah missing out.
What is the full Asian Cup match schedule?
You can access the full match schedule for the 2025 tournament here.
Why is India not hosting the Asian Cup?
India was scheduled to host the tournament according to the hosting rights schedule. While the Indian Cricket Committee (BCCI) continues to be the official host of the tournament, it is taking place in the UAE due to the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
Before the Pakistan-sponsored ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the two neighbors agreed to play only at neutral venues of the International Cricket Tournament. Due to the complications of logistics and the compact nature of competition, the ACC decided to organize the entire tournament in the UAE.
Which teams are participating in the Asian Cup 2025 and what format is it?
The eight participating countries are divided into two groups.
Group A: India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong
The tournament will take place in two group stages, followed by a final.
Following the first group stage, the top two teams from each group enter the Super 4 phase, with all teams facing each other in a round-robin format.
The top two teams at the end of the Super 4 will be competing in the finals.
You can access the full team list of eight teams.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲𝐢𝐬! 🏏
The ACC Men’s T20I Asian Cup will start in the UAE from September 9th to 28th! 🤩
Get ready for a thrilling matchup as Asia’s top 8 teams face off for the glory of the continent! 👊 #ACCMENSASIACUP2025 #ACC pic.twitter.com/jzvv4wuxna
– Asiancricketcouncil (@accmedia1) July 26, 2025
Why is the Asian Cup played in T20 format?
Until the 12th edition of the tournament, the Asian Cup took place in 50 Over One Day International (ODI) format. However, the ACC has decided to switch the 2016 edition format to Twenty20 to help prepare for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Since then, the Asian Cup has alternated between two White Ball Cricket Formats (T20 and ODI) to match the next ICC World Cup.
India’s victory in Sri Lanka in 2023 will be followed by the 50-over World Cup a month later, followed by the tournament this year by the T20 World Cup in February 2026.
Why is Nepal not playing in the Asian Cup?
Five of the eight slots in the Asian Cup 2025 were reserved for ACC permanent members, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The other three were assigned to the top three teams in the ACC Premier Cup 2024, where Nepal finished fourth.
When is India vs Pakistan?
India and Pakistan are not aiming to attract attention in global events, particularly cricket tournaments.
It is no longer a surprise that both teams will be grouped in mega events to secure at least one Indian vs Pakistan sold-out game, but the Asian Cup organizers have tried another match by introducing the round-robin style Super Four Stage. This has led both teams to meet twice in the last three Asian Cups.
However, since the team has never met in the final, fate and results have not gone down the organizer’s path in 16 previous editions of the tournament.
Yes, India and Pakistan were able to face three times in the Asian Cup. Their first and most clear meeting will be appearing in Group A in Dubai on September 14th. If they both qualify for Super Four Stage, they will meet again on September 21st at the same venue.
The final on September 28th will offer cricket fans a chance to have a third India vs Pakistan match in two weeks.
Who will be the top players to see in the 2025 Asian Cup?
Abhishek Sharma (India): The fact that a young top-order batter was able to carve the spot in the highly competitive T20 Indian batting lineup is enough to mark Sharma as something to see in the Asian Cup. The 24-year-old boasts the highest career strike rate of 193 out of all T20 batters, backing it up in the second and half-century formats. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan): Often considered to be the best T20 bowler, Afghan captain consistently creates a list of top players at the end of the tournament he participates in. Hasan Nawaz (Pakistan): Pakistan has often been criticized for their batters inability to match modern T20 batting strike rates, but in Nawaz it appears they have found a solution to this problem. The strike rate for 23 years old is 174, with a strike rate for those in their 250s in their 150s in their 16 games. Pathum nissanka (Sri Lanka): If Sri Lanka matches India and wins the record seventh Asian Cup Crown, the finest batters should consistently score. Nissanka could prove to be merely a player as she will take part in the tournament with a good run scoring form as an opener. He recorded more than 30 runs in eight of the last 10 innings, including in his 30s. Taskin Ahmed (Bangladesh): The right-handed pacer is the flagship on the Bangladesh side thanks to his cross-format consistency. However, he is a standout T20 performer with a bowling strike rate of 17.5, an average of 22 years old. Behind Pakistan and some good home series against the Netherlands, Taskin will appear in the tournament.
Which top players miss the Asian Cup?
Some of the biggest names of Asian cricket are missing from the tournament. these are:
Babar Azam (Pakistan) Muhammad Rizwan (Pakistan) Mehidi Hasan Miraz (Bangladesh) Rishabh Pants (India) Mohammed Siraj (India) Angelo Matthews (Sri Lanka)
What is history and who is the winner of the Asian Cup past?
The ACC was founded in 1983 with the aim of expanding cricket on the continent and bringing together regional teams through tournaments such as the Asian Cup. The first edition was held in the UAE in 1984, and India won the ODI tournament ahead of Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The tournament remained biennial until 1990 until Pakistan retracted the strange nature of its relations with India over the conflict in Kashmir. Politics continued to find a way to sport, and in 1993 the subsequent Asian Cup was cancelled as the South Asian giants were unable to repair their bond. India traveled to Pakistan for the 2008 edition, but the UAE has held two tournaments in the past three editions as a neutral host.
Holders India is the most successful team, winning eight titles. Sri Lanka isn’t that late, and there are six titles in its name.
Afghanistan and Bangladesh have never won the title, but with two-time winners from Sri Lanka and 2025 struggling Pakistan, the tournament may represent the best opportunity to win the Asian Cup crown.
Here’s the complete list of past champions:
1984: 1986: Sri Lanka1988: India 1990–91: India 1995: India 1997: Sri Lanka2000: Pakistan 2004: Sri Lanka2008: Sri Lanka2008: India 2012: Pakistan 2014: Sri Lanka2016: India 2018: India 2022: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023: India 2023
How can fans buy tickets for the Asian Cup?
Tickets can be purchased online or directly at one of the booths at both venues in the UAE.
How can I follow and stream the Asian Cup live?
Al Jazeera offers live text and photo commentary for games selections such as India vs Pakistan and Finals.
