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

Asia Cup 2025: ACC Eyes September Start Amid Growing Optimism

The Asia Cup saga might be nearing a resolution. While definitive conclusions remain premature, a palpable sense of optimism now surrounds the continental championship. This marks a significant shift from previous uncertainty fueled by tensions between India and Pakistan.

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

Although final details are pending, sources suggest a formal decision could materialize next week. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) aims to release the schedule for the six-team tournament in early July, coinciding with their expected convention.

The ACC is reportedly aiming for a second week of September start, assuming everything proceeds smoothly. The T20 format tournament is tentatively scheduled to commence on September 10. Alongside cricketing giants India and Pakistan, the participating nations will include Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE. Promotional activities are already underway.

While the UAE remains the leading contender to host the Asia Cup, discussions regarding a hybrid hosting model are also ongoing. Although India is the designated host, the ACC previously decided that a neutral venue would be used when either India or Pakistan is scheduled to host, addressing existing geopolitical concerns.

The tournament faced uncertainty following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April. Tensions further escalated after India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May, casting a shadow over the event's future. Calls for India to boycott Pakistan in multilateral events grew louder, especially given the absence of bilateral cricket between the two nations. The possibility of India boycotting Pakistan in global events was even slated for discussion at the upcoming ICC meeting.

Recent developments in the global cricket landscape, however, hint at a potential shift. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled 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. In both tournaments, India and Pakistan are scheduled to clash, first on October 5 in Colombo and then on June 14 at Edgbaston.

While officials from the BCCI, ACC, and ICC have refrained from public statements, it appears that cricketing ties between the two rivals will persist, at least in global events. These matches are significant revenue generators for global cricket. While India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might not heavily rely on the revenue from these high-profile encounters, governing bodies like the ICC, ACC, and their member boards certainly do.