Asia Cup 2025: seventeenth version of continental occasion will get underway on September 9

“India is taking part in Pakistan, proper? When are they assembly?”

The immigration officer at Delhi airport posed a fast question on discovering out the aim of journey to the United Arab Emirates. Geopolitical realities, within the aftermath of a four-day army battle between the neighbours in May that adopted a terror assault in Pahalgam, could have forged doubts on the Asia Cup within the months main up, however now that the seventeenth version of the continental occasion is getting underway on Tuesday (September 9, 2025), there could be no disputing the fixture that can occupy centrestage over the subsequent three weeks.

As has been the case in multi-nation tournaments for the previous decade, it’s not by coincidence that India — the official host — and Pakistan have been drawn collectively in Group A alongside United Arab Emirates and debutant Oman. It implies that Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka must slug it out to be among the many two groups from Group B, additionally comprising Hong Kong, that advance to the subsequent stage. If issues go in line with plan, India will face Pakistan as soon as extra within the Super Four part, with a 3rd assembly attainable offered each groups enter the summit conflict on September 28.

Beyond the large draw that India versus Pakistan continues to be within the eyes of the organisers though current contests recommend in any other case, the Asia Cup’s survival has been helped by its flexibility since 2016 in switching between the 50-over and T20 variations primarily based on the calls for of the cricketing calendar.

The earlier occasion in 2023, gained by India, was held within the 50-over format forward of the ODI World Cup that 12 months. This version, that includes eight sides for the primary time within the competitors’s four-decade existence, might be a T20 affair to facilitate preparations for subsequent 12 months’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan will tackle Hong Kong within the opener on the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The Men in Blue, who gained the T20 World Cup final 12 months, will kick off their marketing campaign towards UAE in Dubai on Wednesday. After a protracted break from nationwide obligation for the reason that finish of the Test collection towards England on August 4, India’s gamers might be desirous to get again into aggressive mode at a venue the place they’ve fond reminiscences of successful the ICC Champions Trophy simply six months in the past. That there may be intense competitors for locations is distinctly clear from the absence of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer within the 15-member contingent.

Based on current proof, there isn’t any apparent challenger to India’s may. Sri Lanka was skittled out for 80 in a five-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe on September 6 whereas Afghanistan and Pakistan blew cold and warm within the just-concluded tri-series that the latter gained. Bangladesh has apparently bought the higher of each Pakistan and Sri Lanka of late, however it has proven a worrying pattern of faltering in crunch conditions towards India.

If there’s a ray of hope for these groups, it’s that pre-tournament expectations don’t at all times play out on the Asia Cup. After all, there has by no means been an India-Pakistan remaining in all these years.