Credits: AFP/Getty Images

The countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 has begun as the clouds of uncertainty hanging over the event have cleared up. The tournament was originally to be hosted in India but is now expected to be played in the UAE in September. This comes after India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which led to an agreement between India and Pakistan according to which they won't be playing in each other's countries until 2027, which means a hybrid model would be applied to ICC tournaments hosted by either of them.

As per various media reports, the Asia Cup is likely to start on 5 September and will run until 21 September. As one would expect, India and Pakistan will be placed in the same group and face each other in Dubai on 7 September. Originally, this edition of the Asia Cup was to feature 8 teams, the 5 test nations plus UAE, Oman and Hong Kong, but now it appears likely that it will continue with 6 teams as it did previously with UAE taking part as the sole associate team. In any case, India and Pakistan will be placed in a group with the associate team ensuring a maximum chance that both teams qualify for the Super 4 stage and play each other again, in which case they will meet again on 14 September. If both qualify for the final, then there would be a third India-Pakistan clash in the final on 21 September. Meanwhile, the second group would consist of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Following the ongoing annual meeting of the ICC and then the annual meeting of the ACC, the Asian Cricket Council is expected to finalise the schedule of the Asia Cup by the end of July, as per reports.

Earlier in May, cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan threw the future of the Asia Cup into uncertainty. However, all Indian media reports of India pulling out of the Asia Cup were quickly refuted by BCCI secretary Devajit Saika, who said that the Asia Cup matter or any ACC event issue had not even come up for discussion yet. More recently, the Indian sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that they did not have any problem playing against Pakistan in international events, however when it comes to bilateral engagements, the government position is ''known to all''.

This edition of the Asia Cup is to be played in the T20 format, and would act as a preparatory event for the ICC T20 World Cup next year in February-March, which is to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The previous edition of the Asia Cup was hosted by Pakistan in 2023 in a hybrid model with Sri Lanka following India's refusal to cross the border. It was played in the ODI format, with India claiming the title. The last T20 Asia Cup was hosted by Sri Lanka in the UAE in 2022, in which Sri Lanka won the trophy, defeating Pakistan in the final.