The Asia Cup is officially confirmed! The tournament was in jeopardy after India-Pakistan ties hit a new low following the Pahalgam attack, and there were calls to boycott Pakistan in global events. The BCCI didn't provide any clarity on the stance and said the decision will be taken after consultation with the Indian government.

The board, however, time to time dropped hints that a total boycott of Pakistan in global events is off the cards. When reports in the media stated that BCCI is all but confirmed to boycott the Asia Cup, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quick to dub them as rumours. The BCCI took a strong stance against the Asian Cricket Council meeting in Dhaka, and reportedly pushed for a change in venue, but later agreed to join the meeting virtually.

PCB chief and ACC head Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the Asia Cup will be played from September 9 to 29 in the UAE.

Why Asia Cup Will Be Played In UAE Despite India As Host?

India are the official host of the tournament, but they will not host the matches in the country, but in the UAE. This is because BCCI and PCB agreed before the ICC Champions Trophy that India and Pakistan won't play any match in each other's countries till 2028. Since the Asia Cup is a short tournament, a hybrid model, where Pakistan play their matches at another venue, would have created a lot of logistical issues; thus, the BCCI decided to shift the entire tournament to the UAE.

India-Pakistan In The Same Group

While an official schedule is yet to be announced, India and Pakistan will likely be kept in the same group. The teams will most likely qualify for the Super 4s and meet again in the second round. There will be a possibility of the teams playing each other in the final as well.