The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officially released the complete schedule for the Asia Cup 2025. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the tournament from September 9 to September 28, 2025. This 17th edition of the Asia Cup features the T20 International format and serves as a key preparatory event for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will co-host.
This year’s tournament includes eight teams and features a total of 19 matches scheduled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The competition format includes a group stage followed by the Super Four round and a final. India are the defending champions, having won the 2023 edition.
The tournament has two groups, comprising of eight teams altogether. India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman fall in Group A and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong fall in Group B. The groups will be based on round-robin and the best two in each group will qualify to the Super Four stage.
A major highlight of the schedule is the confirmed India vs Pakistan group stage clash on September 14, 2025, in Dubai. If both teams progress to the Super Four, they will meet again on September 21. A third and final clash may happen in the final if both teams reach that stage.
Both the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have confirmed their involvement, despite the previous uncertainties that came due to political tensions. According to the ACC, the decision to play the matches in the UAE supports its policy on neutral venues that introduced in 2023 to facilitate easy hosting of India-Pakistan matches.
Below is the official fixture table including dates, teams, and venues:
| Date | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh* | B | Abu Dhabi* |
| September 10 | India vs UAE | A | Dubai |
| September 11 | Afghanistan vs Hong Kong* | B | Abu Dhabi* |
| September 12 | Pakistan vs Oman* | A | Dubai* |
| September 14 | India vs Pakistan | A | Dubai |
| September 16 | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan* | B | Abu Dhabi* |
| September 19 | India vs Oman | A | Abu Dhabi |
| September 20–25 | Super Four Stage | — | TBD |
| September 21 | India vs Pakistan (if both qualify) | Super 4 | Dubai |
| September 28 | Final | — | Dubai/Abu Dhabi |
*Note: Some fixtures and venues are subject to final confirmation by the ACC.
The Asia Cup 2025 structure allows for up to three India vs Pakistan matches, which is significant considering they do not compete in bilateral series. With millions of viewers expected and broadcasting rights already secured, these encounters hold major commercial and sporting significance.
