Mumbai / Dubai / Dhaka, July 2025 – The 2025 Asia Cup, initially awarded to India as the official host by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), has been relocated to a neutral venue—most likely the UAE—following mounting diplomatic friction between India and Pakistan.
India was designated to host the September 2025 T20 Asia Cup, expected to serve as a key precursor to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup . However, Pakistan’s participation became politically complicated, particularly after India imposed travel restrictions due to the unstable bilateral relations.
Ahead of Asia Cup editions in 2023 and 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has repeatedly proposed a hybrid or neutral venue model—allowing India to play at a neutral location while Pakistan hosts at home . These proposals were part of broader discussions on equitable fixture hosting.
Persistent political tensions—amplified by the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s military response—led to India’s refusal to play in Pakistan. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia denied any intention to withdraw from Asia Cup participation but highlighted that playing in Pakistan was not feasible under current conditions . India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir personally endorsed the stance, stating India should not play Pakistan even at neutral venues until violence subsides .
Read Top Stories
With the ACC unable to conduct the tournament without both teams, and in view of India’s security concerns, a neutral venue became the pragmatic solution. The UAE—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah—emerged as the preferred choice, mirroring past editions such as the 2022 Asia Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy format where matches involving India were staged in the UAE despite host rights belonging to Pakistan .
Initially threatening to boycott ACC events over Pakistan’s chairmanship of the ACC, the BCCI reversed course and agreed to attend the ACC AGM virtually. This step paved the way for a consensus on relocating the 2025 Asia Cup to a neutral venue .