The 17th men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 is right around the corner, with exciting clashes, intense battles, and fresh talent from all over Asia. The tournament, which will be held in the UAE, commences on September 9 and continues through September 28, 2025, with games being played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025: Important Dates & Schedule
Beginning Date: September 9, 2025
Final Match: September 28, 2025 (in Dubai)
Match Timings: The majority of the matches start at 6:30 PM UAE time, with a double-header day when there are two games at 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM.
India vs Pakistan T20 Battle: September 14 (Sunday), Dubai
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Why is the Asia Cup Taking Place in the UAE?
Though India is the hosting nation, political rivalries with Pakistan required a neutral ground. Similar to India’s matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy, the men’s T20 Asia Cup has been relocated to UAE in order to host both nations safely.
A Brief History of the Asia Cup
First Edition: 1984 (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
Purpose: Create goodwill among Asian cricketing countries
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Format Evolution: Alternated between ODI and T20I formats since 2016, based on the next ICC World Cup
India: Most successful team with 8 titles, followed by Sri Lanka with 6
Last Edition: India thrashed Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI Asia Cup Final, pursuing 51 in only 6.1 overs
What Format Will the 2025 Asia Cup Embrace?
The 2025 Asia Cup will be a T20I format to act as a buildup to the 2026 T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Tournament Format Breakdown:
Teams, two groups:
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Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong
Group Stage: Round-robin within the group
Super Four: The first two teams from each group play round-robin again
Final: Top two from Super Four clash on September 28 in Dubai
Who Are the Teams Taking Part?
This instalment is historic with 8 teams:
Full Members: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan
Qualified through 2024 ACC Premier Cup: UAE, Oman, Hong Kong
Why Isn’t Nepal Playing?
Despite of a good run, Nepal lost to UAE in the semi-finals and then Hong Kong in the third-place match of the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
India vs Pakistan – The Blockbuster Showdown
Yes, it’s finally happening! India vs Pakistan T20 match is on September 14 in Dubai. With increased political tensions transcended for multi-nation tournaments, the bitter rivals are going to go head-to-head.
Potential rematches within the Super Four and even in the final
Interesting fact: India and Pakistan never played an Asia Cup final against one another
Players to Watch in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025
Some thrilling talents to watch out for:
Abhishek Sharma (India)
Two T20I centuries
Strike rate of 193.84
Making his debut in a big tournament
AM Ghazanfar (Afghanistan)
19-year-old enigma spinner
2 five-wicket hauls in ODIs
Making waves in T20 leagues around the world
Salman Mirza (Pakistan)
Left-arm pacer, 31 years old
Breakthrough PSL season
Recently made his debut with 7 wickets at 5.21 economy rate
Muhammad Waseem (UAE)
Captain and ace batter
T20I strike rate of 155.73
Yasim Murtaza (Hong Kong)
34-year-old bowling allrounder
Made captaincy this year
Career economy: 6.33
Rivalries to Watch Outside India vs Pakistan
Afghanistan vs Pakistan: Famous for explosive moments
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh: Recently completed tight T20I series
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Tense rivalry with stunning upsets
Past Thrillers & Classic Encounters
The men’s T20 Asia Cup has produced plenty of shocks over the years:
Sri Lanka lost to Afghanistan by 91 runs in 2014
Afghanistan drew with India in 2018
Hong Kong’s 174-run first-wicket partnership against India in 2018 came perilously close to an upset.
Sri Lanka triumphed at the 2022 T20I Asia Cup despite an early setback.
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