Asia Cup 2025: Teams, Schedule, Groups, Prize Money All You Need To Know

The Asia Cup (2025) is set to begin on September 09, 2025, with India playing their first match of the tournament on September 10th. From the 9th of this month until September 28th, the magic of the Asia Cup is set to captivate millions of fans around the world, especially on the subcontinent, considering India and Pakistan could face each other a total of three times before the tournament ends. The tournament is being held in the T20 format this time, meaning Indian legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not be participating.

Before the Asia Cup 2025 begins, here's a look at all the important points you need to know about the tournament.

Q: Why is the Asia Cup being held in the UAE this time?

India were the original hosts of this Asia Cup, but due to tense political relations with Pakistan, both countries decided not to play on each other's soil. As a result, a middle ground was found, and the decision was made to hold this year's Asia Cup in the UAE.

Q: How many teams are participating in the Asia Cup?

A total of 8 teams are participating in the mega-tournament. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have qualified directly for the tournament. Meanwhile, the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong, who were the top three teams in last year's major associates tournament, the ACC Premier Cup, have qualified to secure their spots.

Group A: India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman

Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka

Q: What is the schedule of the Asia Cup 2025?

Group Stage Schedule

Sep 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 10: India vs United Arab Emirates at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 11: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 12: Pakistan vs Oman at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 13: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 14: India vs Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 15: United Arab Emirates vs Oman at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (5:30 PM IST)

Sep 15: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 16: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 17: Pakistan vs United Arab Emirates at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 18: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 19: India vs Oman at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Super Four Schedule

Sep 20: B1 vs B2 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 21: A1 vs A2 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 23: A2 vs B1 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 24: A1 vs B2 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 25: A2 vs B2 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Sep 26: A1 vs B1 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Final

Sep 28: Final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai (8:00 PM IST)

Q: Why are Nepal not in the Asia Cup?

Nepal, who have made a big name for itself in the last few years, fell short of the qualification standard in the 2024 ACC Premier Cup. They topped its group but lost in the semifinals. They also failed to win the third-place match played against Hong Kong. It was a kind of an upset, paving the way for Hong Kong qualified for the Asia Cup by defeating Nepal.

Q: What is the format of the Asia Cup?

The 8 participating teams have been divided into two groups of four. India, Oman, Pakistan, and the UAE are in Group A, while Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka are in Group B. Each team will play against the other teams in its group once. The top two teams from both groups will qualify for the Super-4 round. In this round, all teams will play against each other again. The top two teams will clash in the final in Dubai on September 28th.

Q: How many matches will there be between India and Pakistan?

The first match between the two arch-rival nations will be played on September 14th. And moving forward, a week later on the 21st, they are expected to clash once again. If both of them make it to the final by defeating everyone else, then fans might get to see a third match between them in the mega-event - in the finale.

Q: How much money will the Asia Cup winner get?

As per reports, this year's winners and runners-up will get more money compared to last time. The winners are expected to fetch three hundred thousand US dollars (2.6 crore rupees), while the runner-up are likely to get 150,000 dollars. However, an official announcement on the subject is still awaited.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Asia Cup 2025 Cricket