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Explained: Why BCCI Is Hosting Asia Cup 2025 In UAE Instead Of India

Rajgeeta Yadav

Asia Cup schedule confirmed [@RAHULKUMAR705 and @HassanAbbasian/X.com]Asia Cup schedule confirmed [@RAHULKUMAR705 and @HassanAbbasian/X.com]

The Asia Cup 2025 was uncertain for a while because of the tense relationship between India and Pakistan. This tension got worse after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. In response, India carried out a military operation called Operation Sindoor.

Because of all this, people weren’t sure if the Asia Cup would even happen. But after a key meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in Dhaka on July 24, the tournament was officially confirmed.

The Asia Cup 2025 will now start on September 9, with India playing their first match against host country UAE on September 10. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match will be played on September 14. If both teams do well, they could face each other again in the Super 4 stage and possibly in the final, which is scheduled for September 28.

This year, eight teams will take part. They are split into two groups. The top two from each group will go to the Super 4 stage, and the top two from there will compete in the final.

So Why Is India Not Hosting?

Even though India is officially the host, the tournament is not being held in India. Instead, it’s being played in the UAE. Here’s why:

In December 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that India and Pakistan will only play each other at neutral venues, not in each other’s countries, for all ICC tournaments until 2028. This applies to big events like 2026 T20 World Cup.

Because of this, India won’t go to Pakistan, and Pakistan won’t come to India during that time.

So, to avoid any complications, the BCCI decided to move the entire Asia Cup 2025 to the UAE. Since the tournament is short, using a “hybrid model” (where teams play at different venues) would have been too messy and difficult to manage. Hosting everything in the UAE made it easier for all teams to participate smoothly.

Notably, the Asia Cup has been switching formats since 2016, sometimes it’s played in the 50-over (ODI) format and other times as 20-over (T20) matches. Since the T20 World Cup is coming up next year, the 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format.