India and Pakistan have been drawn together in Group A of the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, which will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28. The arch-rivals are scheduled to face each other in the group stage on September 14, with the possibility of two more meetings — one in the Super Four stage and potentially in the final.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the tournament dates on Saturday. The 17th edition of the Asia Cup will follow the T20I format, aligning with preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. For the first time in its history, the Asia Cup will feature eight teams, up from six in the previous edition.
Group A includes India, Pakistan, Oman, and hosts UAE. Group B features Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong. The tournament will open on September 9 with a Group B match between Bangladesh and Hong Kong. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage, with the top two from that round moving on to the final on September 28.
The venues and dates were finalised during the ACC’s annual general meeting held in Dhaka on Thursday. The Asia Cup’s future had briefly come under question following military tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year, but the announcement has now confirmed the tournament’s return.
While India are the official hosts for the 2025 edition, a mutual agreement between the BCCI and PCB allows for neutral venues when the tournament is hosted by either country. This three-year arrangement was reached ahead of the Champions Trophy held in Pakistan earlier this year, where India played all their matches — including one against hosts Pakistan — in Dubai. The final, which India won, was also held at the neutral venue.
The India-Pakistan match remains the tournament’s most anticipated and commercially valuable fixture. The group placement and tournament format ensure that a second clash could occur on September 21 in the Super Four stage, with a possible third meeting in the final. Notably, the two sides have never faced each other in an Asia Cup final.
India are the defending champions, having defeated Sri Lanka in the 2023 final. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, won the previous T20I edition in 2022 by beating Pakistan in the final.
