The upcoming Asia Cup 2025 will begin on September 9. The tournament will be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Sharjah hasn’t been included in the venues as India Cricket Team is not allowed to play in Sharjah since 2000. Apparently, the match-fixing investigations regarding the matches played in the 90s revealed that Sharjah was a den of betting and match-fixing at the time.
Notably, during the 2018 edition, Sharjah was not given these matches and India didn’t play outside of Dubai. They didn’t play outside of Dubai during the ICC Champions Trophy early this year. Expect the same in the upcoming tournament although the Super Fours teams are yet to be determined. Meanwhile, talking about the umpires, the official list of umpires is yet to be announced.
Umpires who are expected to officiate in Asia Cup 2025
Early this year, the names that are mentioned below were inducted in the Elite Hall of Fame of umpires. These are some of the experienced names that have also officiated in the ICC tournament such as T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Test Championship Final. Only a few of these names will be chosen to officiate in the upcoming tournament.
ICC Elite Panel of Umpires (2025-26): Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Christopher Gaffaney (New Zealand), Adrian Holdstock (South Africa), Richard Illingworth (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Nitin Menon (India), Allahuddien Paleker (South Africa), Ahsan Raza (Pakistan), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (Bangladesh), Rodney Tucker (Australia), Alex Wharf (England).
Eight teams are participating for the first time
For the first time in the history of the tournament, eight teams are participating in the upcoming edition. They are divided into two groups of four teams each. The top two teams from both groups will qualify for Super Four, followed by the final.
Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 – Group Stage Schedule
| Date | Match No. | Group | Venue | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 09 Sep | 1st | Group B | Abu Dhabi | Afghanistan vs Hong Kong | 8:00 PM |
| Wed, 10 Sep | 2nd | Group A | Dubai (DICS) | United Arab Emirates vs India | 8:00 PM |
| Thu, 11 Sep | 3rd | Group B | Abu Dhabi | Bangladesh vs Hong Kong | 8:00 PM |
| Fri, 12 Sep | 4th | Group A | Dubai (DICS) | Oman vs Pakistan | 8:00 PM |
| Sat, 13 Sep | 5th | Group B | Abu Dhabi | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | 8:00 PM |
| Sun, 14 Sep | 6th | Group A | Dubai (DICS) | India vs Pakistan | 8:00 PM |
| Mon, 15 Sep | 7th | Group A | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates vs Oman | 5:30 PM |
| Mon, 15 Sep | 8th | Group B | Dubai (DICS) | Hong Kong vs Sri Lanka | 8:00 PM |
| Tue, 16 Sep | 9th | Group B | Abu Dhabi | Afghanistan vs Bangladesh | 8:00 PM |
| Wed, 17 Sep | 10th | Group A | Dubai (DICS) | United Arab Emirates vs Pakistan | 8:00 PM |
| Thu, 18 Sep | 11th | Group B | Abu Dhabi | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | 8:00 PM |
| Fri, 19 Sep | 12th | Group A | Abu Dhabi | India vs Oman | 8:00 PM |
Super Fours Schedule
| Date | Match No. | Stage | Venue | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 20 Sep | 13th | Super Fours | Dubai (DICS) | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
| Sun, 21 Sep | 14th | Super Fours | Dubai (DICS) | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
| Tue, 23 Sep | 15th | Super Fours | Abu Dhabi | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
| Wed, 24 Sep | 16th | Super Fours | Dubai (DICS) | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
| Thu, 25 Sep | 17th | Super Fours | Dubai (DICS) | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
| Fri, 26 Sep | 18th | Super Fours | Dubai (DICS) | TBA vs TBA | 8:00 PM |
The final will be played on September 28 in Dubai.
