Arch-Rivals Set for High-Stakes Group Stage Encounter. Multiple Thrilling Clashes Possible in UAE Tournament
July 25, 2025: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced that the highly anticipated Asia Cup T20 tournament will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This choice was made because of political concerns between India and Pakistan. It was supposedly made official at an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Dhaka on Thursday, July 24, 2025. In the next few days, the BCCI is likely to make an official pronouncement.
Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, attended the ACC meeting online, when the 25 member nations talked about where the event will be held. A source within the ACC told that “The BCCI will host the Asia Cup in the UAE.” India will probably play all of its games in Dubai. There are still talks about when to schedule it.
The competition, which will be in the T20 format, will take place over two weeks in September 2025. It has to end before the last week of the month so that India may play the West Indies in a Test series.
Reports say that India and Pakistan will probably be put in the same group, which will make cricket fans quite excited. This setup might lead to at least two exciting matches between the two biggest rivals, one in the group stage and maybe another in the Super Four round. If both teams make it to the final, they could also meet for a third time. This would be the first time these two cricketing titans have played each other since things became worse after the Pahalgam incident in April and May. It is said that the BCCI is talking to the Indian authorities about getting permission to play Pakistan.
Even though ACC sources confirmed it, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia wouldn’t say anything. He only said, “Our vice-president Rajeev Shukla ji went to the ACC meeting.” He will give the members a short report. I don’t believe in guessing, so you’ll find out officially in a few days.
The BCCI has long refused to travel to Pakistan for cricket matches, which is why they are playing in a neutral place like the UAE. This has led to hybrid models for events like the Champions Trophy in the past. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most likely places to host the event. The BCCI is said to have an arrangement with the Emirates Cricket Board for three sites, but only two of them are expected to be used for the Asia Cup. The tournament will also be an important step in getting ready for the T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka in February 2026.