Asia Cup 2025: ACC Eyes September Launch Amid Easing India-Pakistan Tensions

The Asia Cup tournament is showing promising signs of progress, with a growing sense of optimism replacing previous uncertainties stemming from tensions between India and Pakistan.

While details are yet to be finalized, a formal decision is anticipated next week. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is aiming to release the schedule for the six-team tournament during the first week of July, coinciding with their expected convention.

India were champions of the previous edition of the Asia Cup in 2023 © Getty

If everything proceeds as planned, the ACC is reportedly targeting a September start, with September 10 as the likely date for the T20 format tournament to begin. Participating teams include:

• India
• Pakistan
• Afghanistan
• Sri Lanka
• Bangladesh
• UAE

Promotional activities for the tournament have already commenced.

The UAE remains the leading contender to host the Asia Cup. However, discussions are ongoing regarding a potential hybrid format. Although India is the designated host, the ACC previously decided that when either India or Pakistan is scheduled to host the Asia Cup, the tournament should be held at a neutral venue.

Uncertainty surrounding the tournament arose after the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. The situation worsened following India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, which raised serious questions about the tournament's future. Calls for India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events also increased. Currently, India does not participate in bilateral cricket with Pakistan. There was even speculation that India's boycott of Pakistan in global events would be discussed at the next ICC meeting.

Recent developments in global cricket suggest a shift in direction. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently released the schedules for two major events:

• Women's ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka
• Women's T20 World Cup in England

India and Pakistan are scheduled to compete against each other in both tournaments – first on October 5 in Colombo, and then on June 14 at Edgbaston.

While officials from the BCCI, ACC, and ICC have refrained from public comments on the matter, it seems that cricketing relations between the two rivals will continue, at least in global events. These matches are major revenue drivers for world cricket. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are not necessarily dependent on revenue from these high-profile matches, governing bodies like the ICC, the ACC, and their member boards rely heavily on them.