NEW DELHI, India, July 26 (AFP): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host this year's T20 Asia Cup tournament in September, organisers said on Saturday, ending the uncertainty over its fate amid spiralling tensions between India and Pakistan.
The neighbours have not met on either side's soil in a bilateral series since 2012, and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral grounds as part of a compromise deal.
But already-frosty relations took a turn for the worse this year when the two nuclear rivals fought an intense four-day conflict, their worst standoff in decades.
More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire on both sides.
The conflict was triggered by an April 22 attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing -- a charge Islamabad denies.
The Asia Cup is played under the aegis of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which is currently headed by Pakistan cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi.
"I am delighted to confirm the dates for the ACC Men's Asia Cup 2025 in UAE," said Naqvi on X. "The prestigious tournament will take place from September 9th to 28th."
The five full members of the ACC -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka -- earned automatic qualification to the tournament.
They are to be joined by Hong Kong, Oman and the United Arab Emirates -- the teams that secured their spots by finishing in the top three of the ACC men's Premier Cup.
The previous edition of the event was in a 50-over format, but this year's tournament was scheduled as a shorter-format event in preparation for next year's T20 World Cup in India. India and Pakistan have fought three full-fledged wars since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.
It has not yet been officially confirmed if India and Pakistan will be in the same group - as has been the norm for over a decade - though it is believed to be likely. It guarantees what is, by far, the most financially lucrative fixture in the tournament. The format of the Asia Cup means placement in the same group makes at least two India-Pakistan clashes likely, and leaves open the possibility of three such clashes, should both teams make the final. There has, however, never been an India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup.
A significant share of the tournament's revenue is driven by Indian sponsors and broadcasters. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), which secured the rights to Asia Cup events in 2024 in a deal reportedly worth USD 170 million over eight years, will look to capitalise on high viewership, especially for potential India-Pakistan encounters.
Last week, the BCCI declined to attend the ACC meeting in Dhaka in person, citing tensions between India and Bangladesh. However, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla joined the meeting virtually. Meanwhile, the scheduled India-Bangladesh bilateral series in August 2025 has been postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing diplomatic strain.
India are the defending champions, having beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the previous edition in 2023. Sri Lanka won the previous T20I edition, beating Pakistan in the final in 2022.
