India vs Pakistan Clash in Asia Cup 2025? September 10 Start Date Likely Despite Pahalgam Tragedy
Asia Cup 2025 likely to begin Sept 10 in UAE; ACC eyes hybrid model amid India-Pakistan tensions post-Pahalgam attack
Despite rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, the Asia Cup 2025 is still very much on the table.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the organisers are confident of conducting the tournament in September, with September 10 being considered as the likely start date.
Six-Team Tournament, T20 Format
This year’s Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format and is expected to feature six teams — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the UAE. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is reportedly preparing to release the official schedule in the first week of July.
UAE is currently the front-runner to host the event, as India and Pakistan continue to avoid playing each other in bilateral series. If all goes as planned, fans might witness a much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash in the tournament.
Hybrid Model Under Consideration
India are the designated hosts for Asia Cup 2025, but due to the political tensions and existing ACC rules, the competition is likely to be shifted to a neutral venue.
Discussions are also underway for a hybrid model, similar to the one used during previous editions, to accommodate both countries without direct travel between them.
BCCI Denies Reports of Withdrawal
Earlier in May, multiple reports had claimed that the BCCI might pull out of the Asia Cup due to national security concerns following the Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor against terror camps in Pakistan and PoK.
However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia firmly denied such reports.
“The Asia Cup matter or any other ACC event issue has not come up for discussion at any level. Hence, any news or report on that is purely speculative and imaginary,” he told Hindustan Times.
India does not play Pakistan in any bilateral series. Their meetings are restricted to ICC and ACC events. The last India-Pakistan clash took place during the ICC Champions Trophy, held in Dubai.
