On Tuesday, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) unveiled the tournament trophy in Dubai, kicking off the 17th edition of the Asia Cup 2025 in spectacular style. The event brought together the captains of all eight participating nations, as well as ACC President Mohsin Naqvi.
Skippers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, the UAE, and Hong Kong all posed with the trophy at the event. Mohsin Naqvi individually greeted each captain before the ceremonial unveiling, after which the players spoke with the media. With the trophy on display, the tournament is due to begin on September 9.
The Incredible Eight with the Exceptional One! 🏆😍#DPWorldAsiaCup2025 #ACC pic.twitter.com/0aDk0Qdxjo
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 9, 2025
The 2025 Asia Cup will be contested in the T20I format, making it a crucial preparatory platform ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the eight teams have been split into two groups, with Group A consisting of India, Pakistan, Oman, and the hosts, the UAE. Group B has Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.
Afghanistan-Hong Kong to feature in opening game
Each team will play the others in their group once, with the top two from each progressing to the Super Four stage. The top two teams from there will advance to the final on September 28 in Dubai. India’s campaign begins on September 10 against the UAE, followed by the clash with Pakistan on September 14. On the other hand, the Men in Green will open their campaign against Oman on September 12 before facing India. Afghanistan and Hong Kong will feature in the opening game of the tournament.
Notably, global audiences will be treated to insights from Pakistan legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, and Sanjay Manjrekar, alongside Sri Lanka’s Russel Arnold and New Zealand’s Simon Doull. The Hindi commentary team will also feature big names like Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Ajay Jadeja, and Saba Karim. India are the defending champions, having clinched their eighth title in 2023 with a win over Sri Lanka.
India
