Asia Cup 2025: ACC Set To Finalise Schedule Amid Easing India-Pakistan Tensions - Report

There’s a renewed sense of optimism around the Asia Cup 2025 after months of uncertainty caused by political tensions between India and Pakistan. While a formal announcement is yet to be made, sources suggest that a decision on the tournament’s future could come as early as next week.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is hopeful of releasing the official schedule in the first week of July. If all goes according to plan, the six-team tournament is likely to begin on September 10. The event will be played in the T20 format and will feature India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UAE remains the frontrunner to host the competition, though the ACC is also considering a hybrid model. While India is the official host this year, the ACC has maintained that the Asia Cup will be held in a neutral venue whenever India or Pakistan are the designated hosts, mainly due to ongoing diplomatic issues.

Tensions had spiked earlier this year following the terror attack in Pahalgam and India’s military response, Operation Sindoor. The situation led to serious doubts over whether India and Pakistan would meet in multilateral events, with rising calls within India to boycott cricketing ties with Pakistan.

Despite these challenges, recent developments in world cricket point toward a thaw in relations, at least on the field. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced schedules for two major global tournaments: the Women’s ODI World Cup and the Women’s T20 World Cup. India and Pakistan are set to face off in both competitions—on October 5 in Colombo and on June 14 next year in Edgbaston.

These fixtures signal that while bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan remains off the table, their encounters in ICC and ACC tournaments will continue. These high-profile clashes are major revenue generators for world cricket, especially for governing bodies like the ICC and ACC, even though India’s cricket board is financially self-sufficient.

Promotional activities for the Asia Cup have already begun, which further strengthens the belief that the tournament will go ahead as planned. Cricket fans from both nations can now look forward to another chapter in one of the sport’s most intense rivalries.

All eyes are now on the ACC meeting in early July, where the fate of the Asia Cup 2025 is expected to be sealed.