The start time for 18 out of the 19 matches in the upcoming Asia Cup has been pushed back by half an hour due to extreme heat in the UAE. According to the revised schedule, the matches will now begin at 6:30 pm local time (8:00 pm IST).
The tournament, which will be played in the T20 format this year, is scheduled to run from September 9 to 28 across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“The start time for 18 out of the 19 DP World Asia Cup 2025 matches has been updated. These matches will now begin at 6:30 pm local time (Gulf Standard Time),” the Emirates Cricket Board said in a statement on its website.
The only day game of the tournament will be on Monday, September 15, when UAE face Oman at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. That match will start at 4:00 pm local time.
Initially, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had announced that the matches would start at 6:00 pm local time.
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on September 14. India will start their campaign against UAE in Dubai on September 10 and conclude the group stage with a match against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman are placed in Group A, while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.