The Asia Cup 2025 kicks off in the UAE on Tuesday with Afghanistan taking on Hong Kong at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium from 8 PM IST.
Asia Cup 2025 : This edition is being played in the T20 format as preparation for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year. India’s campaign begins on September 10 against hosts UAE at the Dubai International Stadium, followed by the much-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14 at the same venue. If both teams progress, they could meet again in the Super Four stage and potentially in the final on September 28.
India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Shubman Gill as vice-captain. Senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will not feature, as they have retired from the T20I format.
The tournament was shifted to the UAE after India and Pakistan decided against hosting matches on each other’s soil due to political tensions. The Asian Cricket Board (ACB) made the final call on the neutral venue.
Participating Teams:
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Direct entries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan
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Qualifiers: UAE, Oman, Hong Kong
Groups:
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Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
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Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka
Prize Money:
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Winner: USD 300,000 (approx. ₹2.6 crore)
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Runner-up: USD 150,000
India’s Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Live Broadcast & Streaming:
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TV: Sony Sports Network
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Online: SonyLIV (matches begin at 8 PM IST)
Schedule Highlights:
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Sep 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi
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Sep 10: India vs UAE, Dubai
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Sep 12: Pakistan vs Oman, Dubai
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Sep 14: India vs Pakistan, Dubai
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Sep 19: India vs Oman, Abu Dhabi
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Sep 20–26: Super Four fixtures
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Sep 28: Final, Dubai