The future of the Asia Cup was also thrown into doubt after a terror incident in Pahalgam in April and subsequent military operations in May
Asia Cup 2025 Nears: Will India Participate?
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is likely to take a final decision on the Asia Cup 2025 within the next week, News24 reported.
According to the report, which cites Cricbuzz, the official tournament calendar could be announced in early July, provided discussions proceed as planned. The tournament is expected to begin in the second week of September.
Although the event has not been officially announced yet, promotional campaigns have reportedly already been launched in the background.
As per the report, the 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format, and will likely feature six teams-India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE has emerged as the front-runner to host the tournament, though discussions are ongoing regarding a hybrid hosting model. While India holds the official hosting rights for the 2025 edition, a proposal is being considered to either shift the tournament to a neutral venue or implement a split-venue format to accommodate political sensitivities.
India-Pakistan matches in such tournaments have historically posed logistical and political challenges, often leading to alternative hosting arrangements.
A hybrid model was used during the 2023 Asia Cup, where Pakistan hosted the tournament, but India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka due to India's refusal to travel to Pakistan. Even the final, after India qualified, was held in Sri Lanka.
A similar scenario unfolded earlier in 2025 during the ICC Champions Trophy, where hosting complications emerged due to India’s unwillingness to play in Pakistan. The ICC adopted a dual-host format, with India’s matches—including the final—held in the UAE. It marked the first time an ICC event was organized in such a format.
In response, Pakistan announced a boycott of all future matches held in India until the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle ends in 2027.
The future of the Asia Cup was also thrown into doubt after a terror incident in Pahalgam in April and subsequent military operations in May, which further strained India-Pakistan relations.
(For more news apart from “Asia Cup 2025 Nears: Will India Participate?,” stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.)
