Asia Cup 2025: ACC Eyes Mid-September Start Date Amid Easing Tensions

Asia Cup 2025: Optimism Grows for September Start

The Asia Cup may be on track after a period of uncertainty. Despite lingering tensions between India and Pakistan, there's a growing sense of optimism that the continental championship will proceed.

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

While a definitive decision is still pending, indications suggest that a formal announcement could be made soon. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is reportedly aiming to release the schedule for the six-team tournament in early July, coinciding with its upcoming meeting.

If everything proceeds as planned, the ACC is looking at a mid-September start for the tournament. The T20 format competition is tentatively scheduled to commence on September 10. Participating teams alongside India and Pakistan will include Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Promotional activities for the event are already underway.

The UAE remains the leading candidate to host the Asia Cup. However, discussions are also considering a hybrid hosting model. While India is the designated host, previous decisions stipulate that when it's India or Pakistan's turn, the tournament should be held at a neutral venue.

The tournament's future was clouded following the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. Tensions further escalated after India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, raising concerns about the event's viability. Calls for India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events also grew louder. Currently, India does not participate in bilateral cricket with Pakistan. There were even talks about discussing a potential India boycott of Pakistan in global events at the next ICC meeting.

However, recent developments in international cricket indicate a potential shift. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled the schedules for two major global events: the Women's ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the Women's T20 World Cup in England. Notably, India and Pakistan are scheduled to clash in both tournaments – on October 5 in Colombo and on June 14 at Edgbaston.

Although officials from the BCCI, ACC, and ICC have refrained from public comments on the matter, indications suggest that cricket ties between the two rivals will continue, at least in global events. These matches are significant revenue drivers for world cricket, benefiting the global cricketing ecosystem, not just Indian cricket. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may not heavily rely on the revenue generated from these high-profile matches, governing bodies like the ICC, the ACC, and their member boards certainly do.