Asia Cup 2025: ACC Targets September Launch Amid Easing India-Pakistan Tensions

The Asia Cup saga may be seeing a positive shift. Although final conclusions are still premature, there's a noticeable increase in optimism surrounding the tournament, a stark contrast to previous uncertainties caused by tensions between India and Pakistan.

India were champions of the previous edition of the Asia Cup in 2023 © Getty

While nothing is set in stone, a formal decision could be reached next week. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) aims to release the schedule for the six-team tournament during the first week of July, coinciding with their expected convention.

The ACC is reportedly aiming for a September start, specifically around September 10th, for the T20 format tournament. Alongside India and Pakistan, the participating teams are slated to include Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Promotional activities for the tournament have already begun.

The UAE remains the leading candidate to host the tournament, although a hybrid format is also under consideration. While India is the designated host, the ACC previously decided that Asia Cup tournaments hosted by either India or Pakistan would be held at a neutral venue.

Uncertainty clouded the tournament following the terror attack in Pahalgam in April. Tensions further escalated after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, raising serious doubts about the tournament's viability. Calls for India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events also grew. Currently, India does not participate in bilateral cricket with Pakistan. Discussions about a potential Indian boycott of Pakistan in global events were even proposed for the next ICC meeting.

However, recent developments in international cricket suggest a potential shift. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released schedules for two major events: the Women's ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, and the Women's T20 World Cup in England. India and Pakistan are scheduled to compete against each other in both tournaments, on October 5th in Colombo and June 14th at Edgbaston, respectively.

While officials from the BCCI, ACC, and ICC have remained silent publicly, these developments suggest that cricketing ties between the two rivals will continue, at least in global events. These matches are significant revenue drivers for global cricket. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may not heavily rely on revenue from these high-profile encounters, governing bodies like the ICC and ACC, along with their member boards, do.