The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to host the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, with a formal announcement expected in the coming days, sources in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said on Thursday.
The development follows an important ACC meeting attended by representatives from all 25 member nations. The BCCI was represented virtually by its vice-president, Rajeev Shukla.
“The BCCI will host the Asia Cup in the UAE. India is likely to play all its matches in Dubai. There are still deliberations on scheduling,” an ACC source told PTI, requesting anonymity.
The tournament is expected to be held in September 2025, spanning a little over a fortnight. Organisers are working against a tight schedule, as India’s Test series against the West Indies is set to begin in the final week of the month.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, responding to queries regarding the developments, said: “Our vice-president Rajeev Shukla attended the ACC meeting. He will brief the members. I don't believe in speculations so you will get to know officially in a few days’ time.”
In Dhaka, ACC chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) head Mohsin Naqvi also refrained from revealing full details, particularly regarding a potential India-Pakistan clash.
“We will announce it shortly. We have had discussions with the BCCI and there are a few issues that we will resolve shortly. All 25 members attended the meet either physically or virtually. We are all on the same page,” Naqvi told reporters.
It was further revealed that due to pressure from the BCCI, only two out of the ten agenda items were discussed during the meeting. Reports indicate that the BCCI will announce the schedule of the Asia Cup 2025 first, following which the ACC will issue its statement.
“The meeting was attended by all 25 members. BCCI will inform us about the Asia Cup in a few days,” Naqvi added.
According to multiple reports, this edition of the Asia Cup could witness multiple high-stakes encounters between India and Pakistan. The two teams are expected to be placed in the same group, setting up a clash in the group stage, followed by another meeting in the Super 4 stage, and a possible showdown in the final.
Sources also mentioned that the meeting nearly failed to reach quorum, as there was a possibility of the BCCI, the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and Sri Lanka Cricket boycotting the session. Without the participation of these three permanent Test-playing nations, the meeting would have been declared invalid.
