"Won’t Be In A...": ECB Confident About IND vs PAK Match In Asia Cup 2025

Rajgeeta Yadav

India vs Pakistan [Source: AFP/X.com]India vs Pakistan [Source: AFP/X.com]

The Asia Cup 2025 is just around the corner and is set to start on September 9 in the UAE, with the final happening on September 28 in Dubai. The full schedule and match venues have been officially announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

One of the biggest talking points has been whether the India vs Pakistan match would actually happen, especially after the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which raised tensions between the two countries. Many doubted if the two teams would face off. But now, it’s confirmed, India and Pakistan will play each other on September 14 in the group stage.

Ahead of this high-stakes clash, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has expressed confidence that the match will go ahead without any issues.

ECB Make Bold Comment On IND vs PAK Match

Subhan Ahmed, the Chief Operating Officer of the ECB, said they’re hopeful things will be different this time. While they can’t promise anything 100%, he explained that matches in the Asia Cup are planned with prior government approvals, unlike private events like the World Championship of Legends (WCL).

He said: “We can’t make any guarantees, but comparing the Asia Cup against a private event like the WCL is not a like comparison. When decisions to play in the Asia Cup are taken, government permissions are taken in advance."

"That has definitely been done before arriving at the decision of announcing the schedule for the countries. So hopefully we won’t be in a situation as there was at the WCL.”

Just last week, in the WCL tournament, the India Champions team pulled out of their semi-final against Pakistan due to political tensions after the Pahalgam incident. Big names like Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh chose not to play, which led to India exiting the tournament and missing their chance to defend the title.

Notably, this year's Asia Cup 2025 will be played in the T20 format and hosted entirely in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Matches will be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Abu Dhabi will host 11 matches, while Dubai will host 8 matches, including the final. A total of 19 matches will be played during the tournament.