Asia Cup 2025: Optimism Surges as ACC Targets September Start Date Amid Easing Tensions

The Asia Cup saga might be nearing a resolution. While it's too early to declare a complete breakthrough, there's a noticeable surge in optimism surrounding the continental championship, 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 no final decisions have been made, sources suggest a formal announcement could come as early as next week. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is reportedly aiming to release the schedule for the six-team tournament in the first week of July, coinciding with their expected meeting.

If everything proceeds as planned, the ACC is targeting a start date in the second week of September. The tournament, which will be played in the T20 format, is tentatively scheduled to begin on September 10. Besides India and Pakistan, the participating nations will include Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Preparatory activities for the tournament appear to be underway.

The UAE remains the leading candidate to host the Asia Cup. However, there are ongoing discussions about potentially utilizing a hybrid hosting model. While India is the designated host for this edition, the ACC previously determined that when either India or Pakistan are scheduled to host the Asia Cup, the event would be held at a neutral venue due to prevailing circumstances.

The tournament's fate was cast into doubt following the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. Tensions further escalated after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, significantly jeopardizing the tournament's prospects. Calls for India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events also grew louder. Currently, India does not participate in bilateral cricket with Pakistan. There was even speculation that a potential Indian boycott of Pakistan in global events would be a topic of discussion at the next ICC meeting.

Recent developments in the global cricket landscape, however, suggest a potential shift in approach. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled the schedules for two major global 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 slated to compete against each other in both tournaments, first on October 5 in Colombo and subsequently on June 14 at Edgbaston.

Despite the silence from officials within the BCCI, ACC, and ICC, these scheduled matches indicate a continuation of cricketing ties between the two rivals, at least within the context of global events. These matches are crucial revenue streams for global cricket, rather than specifically for Indian cricket. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may not heavily rely on the financial gains from these high-profile encounters, governing bodies such as the ICC, the ACC, and their affiliated member boards certainly do.