The Asia Cup is set to be held from September in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will be an eight-team tournament. The teams that will participate are defending champions India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh as full members, while UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong will be the other three members featuring in the tournament. Earlier on Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a U-turn and decided to attend the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday in Dhaka.

According to Times of India journalist, Gaurav Gupta, the matches of the Asia Cup will be held from September 8 to 21 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The fate of the Asia Cup had become uncertain in the context of the tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack that led to a military escalation between the two countries. The diplomatic dialogue between the two countries has not resumed since then.

In the wake of the prevailing atmosphere, the BCCI had decided not to visit Dhaka and had threatened to boycott the all-important AGM.

However, after the BCCI gave its nod to participate in the meeting after much deliberation, it also raised hopes for the revival of the Asia Cup. According to multiple reports, the tournament is set to be held in a T20 format.

Considering the atmosphere, it will be interesting to see whether the BCCI agrees to play Pakistan in the tournament. Earlier this year, India refused to travel to Pakistan to play the ICC Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue played all of their matches in Dubai, including the match against Pakistan, and won the tournament.

However, since the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India has snapped all kinds of ties with Pakistan. And the BCCI aligned its stance with that of the government. Recently, India Champions – a team of former Indian players – refused to play Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends in Edgbaston due to the terrorist attack that left 26 innocent people dead. In the last Asia Cup held in 2023, India became the champions.