Sports News: The situation regarding Asia Cup 2025 is now becoming clear. An important discussion was held on this continental tournament in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) held in Dhaka on Thursday, in which BCCI officials participated virtually. According to sources, this time India and Pakistan can be placed in the same group, so that the audience can once again see high-voltage matches.
The BCCI has sought a neutral venue to host the tournament and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates have been identified as potential venues. Three venues have been agreed upon with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), but the tournament is planned to be held at only two venues.
It is worth mentioning that this time India has been given the responsibility of hosting the tournament, but after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India withdrew itself from the event. In such a situation, there was confusion regarding the organization of the tournament, which is now slowly getting cleared.
BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and ACC president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi will meet in the coming days to finalise the venue and schedule. A window from September 7 to the third or fourth week of the month has been proposed for the tournament. This time has been chosen because the T20 World Cup is proposed in February 2026, and the Asia Cup can become a platform for its preparation.
The economic aspects of the Asia Cup were also discussed. A large part of the tournament's financial support comes from Indian sponsors and broadcast partners. Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has acquired the media rights for the tournament for eight years for $170 million. The tournament is likely to feature two India-Pakistan matches and if both teams reach the final, it could be a big money-making opportunity for broadcasters.
Last week, the BCCI had informed the ACC that it would not be able to attend the meeting in Dhaka, citing the ongoing diplomatic tension between India and Bangladesh. However, it was later decided that Rajiv Shukla would attend the meeting virtually. Due to this tension, the India-Bangladesh bilateral series proposed in August 2025 has been postponed indefinitely.
