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

Asia Cup 2025: Optimism Rises for September Start

The Asia Cup saga may be nearing a resolution. While it's still early to make definitive statements, a growing sense of optimism surrounds the tournament, a significant shift from the previous uncertainty fueled by tensions between India and Pakistan.

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

Although concrete decisions are pending, indications suggest a formal announcement could arrive next week. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) aims to release the schedule for the six-team tournament in early July, coinciding with their expected meeting.

The ACC is reportedly targeting a September start, with September 10 as a likely date for the first match. The tournament will be played in the T20 format. Participating teams include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Preliminary promotional activities have already begun.

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

The tournament's future was initially clouded by the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. The situation worsened after India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, raising concerns about the event's viability. Calls for an Indian boycott of Pakistan in multilateral events also grew. Currently, India does not participate in bilateral cricket with Pakistan. The possibility of India boycotting Pakistan in global events was even slated for discussion at the upcoming ICC meeting.

However, recent developments in international cricket suggest a potential shift. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled schedules for two major 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 June 14 at Edgbaston, respectively.

While officials from the BCCI, ACC, and ICC have remained silent publicly, it appears that cricket ties between the two rival nations will continue, at least within the context of global events. These matches are significant revenue generators for the sport. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are not dependent on revenue from these high-profile encounters, governing bodies like the ICC and ACC heavily rely on them.