Sports
13 Jun, 2025
People hear "Asia Cup" and think football - but no yaar, it’s full-on cricket action with top Asian teams going head-to-head.
If this is your first time following the Asia Cup, and you're wondering which teams are playing, what's the latest format, or where to watch the live streaming - this article is made just for you.
The Asia Cup is an international cricket tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
It’s one of the most prestigious cricket competitions in Asia, held regularly since its debut in 1984. The winning team is honoured as the "Champion of Asia.
The format of the Asia Cup alternates between ODI (50 overs) and T20 (20 overs), depending on the format of the ICC World Cup scheduled for that year:
For 2025, the 17th edition of the Asia Cup will follow the T20 format, expected to take place around September 2025.
It serves as a perfect warm-up for teams to test combinations, build form, and fine-tune tactics under conditions similar to the ICC T20 World Cup.
Simply put, Asia Cup is the ultimate dress rehearsal before the big World Cup stage.
The tournament usually features the Full Member countries of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
In addition, emerging cricket nations like Hong Kong, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also get a chance to participate by qualifying through tournaments like the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
For the 2025 Asia Cup, a total of 8 teams are expected to participate:
Sadly for Nepali fans, the team couldn’t make the cut in the 2024 qualifiers — so they’ll be missing out on this edition of the Asia Cup.
The 2025 Asia Cup will follow a new tournament format, different from previous editions:
Group Stage:
This time, the number of participating teams has increased to 8, divided into two groups (Group A and Group B) with 4 teams each.
Each team will play one match against every other team in its group. Points will be awarded as follows:
Super Four Stage:
The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, where all four teams will play round-robin matches against each other.
Final:
The top 2 teams from the Super Four standings will face off in the Asia Cup Final.
In total, the tournament will feature 19 matches, making it more packed and competitive compared to previous editions which had only 13 games.
India was originally appointed as the host for the 2025 Asia Cup, marking the first time since 1990-91 that India will host this tournament.
However, due to unstable India-Pakistan relations, there is a possibility the event could be shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
There have also been reports claiming India might withdraw from hosting the 2025 Asia Cup, but BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia denied these rumors, calling them "mere speculation and imagination."
The following schedule is an estimated projection based on previous Asia Cup timelines. Official match dates and group details will be confirmed later by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
This article will be updated accordingly once official announcements are made.
| Date | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep (Mon) | India vs Nepal | Group A |
| 16 Sep (Tue) | Pakistan vs UAE | Group A |
| 17 Sep (Wed) | Bangladesh vs Oman | Group B |
| 18 Sep (Thu) | Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan | Group B |
| 19 Sep (Fri) | India vs UAE | Group A |
| 20 Sep (Sat) | Pakistan vs Nepal | Group A |
| 21 Sep (Sun) | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | Group B |
| 22 Sep (Mon) | Sri Lanka vs Oman | Group B |
| 23 Sep (Tue) | India vs Pakistan | Group A |
| 23 Sep (Tue) | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | Group B |
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| 25 Sep (Thu) | A1 vs B2 |
| 26 Sep (Fri) | B1 vs A2 |
| 27 Sep (Sat) | A1 vs A2 |
| 28 Sep (Sun) | B1 vs B2 |
| 29 Sep (Mon) | A2 vs B2 |
| 30 Sep (Tue) | A1 vs B1 |
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| 2 Oct (Thu) | Top 2 teams from Super Four |
For viewers in India who want to watch Asia Cup live, here are three main platforms recommended:
Just register an account, and you can watch Asia Cup live on your mobile for free on Dubai7, no extra subscription needed.
You can also bet on the India team while watching - and win real money!
India’s main sports channel, which broadcasts almost all important Asia Cup matches.
An online streaming platform offering HD live coverage and match replays.
The 2025 Asia Cup is expected to be held from the second to the fourth week of September 2025.
It will follow the T20 International (T20I) format, with each team playing 20 overs per match. Each match typically lasts around 3 hours.
The official host nation has not been confirmed yet, but the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the most likely venue.
Possible stadiums include the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Sri Lanka is considered a backup option.
When two or more teams have equal points during the group or Super Four stage, the ranking is decided based on the following criteria in order:
India is the most successful team in Asia Cup history, having participated in 15 editions and winning 8 titles.
Sri Lanka comes second with 6 titles from 16 appearances, while Pakistan has won the tournament twice in 15 editions.
Pakistan scored 385/7 against Bangladesh in 2010 (ODI format), which remains the highest team total in Asia Cup history.
Bangladesh was bowled out for just 87 runs against Pakistan in 2000, the lowest score in Asia Cup history.
Bangladesh also holds the record for most sub-100 scores - four times (86, 87, 99, 99).
Pakistan: 8 times.
India: 6 times.
Sri Lanka: 5 times.
Virat Kohli (India) scored 183 runs off 148 balls against Pakistan in 2012, including 22 fours and 4 sixes - the highest individual score in Asia Cup (ODI format) history.
No, Virat Kohli will not be part of the 2025 Asia Cup. He announced his retirement from T20 Internationals (T20Is) on June 29, 2024, after winning the T20 World Cup.
Kohli confirmed he will continue to play in ODIs and Test matches but will no longer participate in T20Is.
© 2025 Dubai7 Official Blog
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