The glittering trophy of the Asia Cup 2025 was officially unveiled in Dubai on Tuesday, with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi and the captains of all eight participating nations in attendance.
Skippers from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, Hong Kong, and Oman joined the ceremony, posing for photographs with the trophy and sharing their excitement ahead of the tournament. Naqvi greeted and shook hands with each captain before the formal unveiling.
The event also saw the players interact with the media, where they fielded questions and vowed to give their best in the much-anticipated competition.
This year’s tournament, the 15th edition of the men’s Asia Cup, will be staged in the T20I format. The eight teams have been split into two groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the Super Four stage. The final will be held on September 28.
Group A features India, Pakistan, Oman, and hosts UAE. India will kick off their campaign against UAE on September 10 in Dubai, before facing arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14, also in Dubai. Their final group-stage clash will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka, setting the stage for another set of high-voltage encounters.
With the trophy now revealed and excitement building, the countdown to the Asia Cup 2025 has officially begun.
Star-studded panel
The star-studded commentary panel for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to begin on Tuesday has been unveiled.
The world-feed commentary will feature legendary former Pakistan pacers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, along with Bazid Khan and prominent cricketing figures such as VVS Laxman, Sanjay Manjrekar, Robin Uthappa, Russel Arnold, and Simon Doull.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri and batting great Sunil Gavaskar are also part of the expert panel.
The Hindi commentary team will include notable names like Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Ajay Jadeja, former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar, and Saba Karim.
The upcoming edition of the Asia Cup will be played in T20 format, serving as a preparatory tournament ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February.
A total of eight teams, divided into two groups, will compete for the prestigious title. Group A features Pakistan, India, UAE, and Oman, while Group B includes Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.
The tournament will commence with a Group B match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Pakistan will open their campaign against Oman on September 12, followed by a clash against arch-rivals India on September 14.
The Green Shirts will conclude their group-stage fixtures against hosts UAE on September 17.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage, which could see Pakistan and India meet again on September 21.
The final is scheduled for September 28, where the two best-performing teams from the Super Four will contest the title.
Complete schedule:
9 September: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
10 September: India vs UAE
11 September: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
12 September: Pakistan vs Oman
13 September: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
14 September: India vs Pakistan
15 September: UAE vs Oman
15 September: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
16 September: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
17 September: Pakistan vs UAE
18 September: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
19 September: India vs Oman
Super Four Stage:
September 20: B1 vs B2
September 21: A1 vs A2
September 23: A2 vs B1
September 24: A1 vs B2
September 25: A2 vs B2
September 26: A1 vs B1
September 28: Final
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