The UAE will play host to the Asia Cup for the third time in seven years when the continent’s top eight sides go for the title this month.
The national team are set to test themselves against the best, too. Having qualified for the competition for the first time in nearly a decade, they have been placed in the same pool as defending champions India, as well as Pakistan.
India v Pakistan
Talking of those two rivals, they are the reason the competition is being played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
India had been scheduled to host the tournament, but the worsening political situation between the two neighbours meant it had to be relocated.
The tension between them meant it seemed unlikely the tournament would go ahead at all, but the UAE was again picked as a neutral venue to save the day.
Many rival fans still believe the two teams should not be playing against each other, but the organisers are confident the games will go ahead.
Tickets
Sport’s biggest fixture has led to some creative salesmanship. The India v Pakistan game simultaneously has dynamic pricing, and a fire sale.
Tickets for the game initially went on sale at an eye-watering Dh1,400. But that did include six other matches, as well.
Included in the seven-match bundle was India’s group match against the UAE, four second-round games, and the final.
Other ticket packages have subsequently been introduced, too. A Dh475 bundle includes India v UAE, Pakistan v Oman, and India v Pakistan.
There is another package that costs Dh525 for three of the Super Four fixtures, as well as one that includes two of the Super Four games plus the final.
Tickets for individual fixtures are also available, starting from Dh40 for the games at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, to Dh50 for matches at Dubai International Stadium.
Tickets are available on www.platinumlist.net.
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Virat Kohli's century helped India defeat Pakistan by six wickets in the Champions Trophy clash at Dubai International Stadium on February 23, 2025. Reuters -
India's Virat Kohli finished with 100 off 111 balls including seven fours. AP -
Pakistan bowler Abrar Ahmed celebrates the wicket of India's in-form opener Shubman Gill for 46. Getty Images -
India's Shreyas Iyer hit 56 off 67 balls including five fours and one six. AFP -
India captain Rohit Sharma is bowled out by Shaheen Shah Afridi of Pakistan (not pictured) for 20. Getty Images -
Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi celebrates after taking the wicket of India opener Rohit Sharma. AFP -
Saud Shakeel top-scored for Pakistan after hitting 62 off 76 balls, including five fours. Pakistan were bowled out for 241 in their innings. AP -
India's Hardik Pandya, centre, celebrates with teammates following the wicket of Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel. AP -
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan looks at his wicket after being bowled for 46 by Axar Patel (not in picture). His knock came off 77 balls and included three fours. AP -
India fielder Axar Patel takes the catch to dismiss Pakistan's Saud Shakeel. AFP -
Khushdil Shah hit a quickfire 38 off 39 balls for Pakistan, including two sixes. Getty Images -
India bowler Hardik Pandya, centre, celebrates after claiming the wicket of Pakistan's Babar Azam for 23. AP -
India's Axar Patel runs out Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq for 10. AFP -
India's Axar Patel, second from right, celebrates with Kuldeep Yadav after running out Imam-ul-Haq of Pakistan. AP
Heat
The start times for the games was initially scheduled to be 6pm, but that was subsequently tweaked to begin 30 minutes later.
The reason given for the new 6.30pm starts was the intense heat of late summer in the UAE. It is more likely down to the Television Rating Points system in India than thermometer reading, though.
After all, the fixture between the UAE and Oman, at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday, September 15, will likely attract the fewest eyeballs of any game. That was always planned to be in the blazing heat of a 4pm start, and it still will be.
Home hopes
The UAE made it to this tournament in style, winning the qualifying event in Muscat last year.
It is the first time they have played in an Asia Cup since 2016, when they reached the main phase of the tournament at the expense of Afghanistan – only to lose to all of the big guns when they got there.
It means Muhammad Waseem will have the sort of platform he deserves. In the tri-series against Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has been preparation for the Asia Cup, the UAE captain has moved into second place on the list of sixes hit by a player across a T20I career.
Now he has Rohit Sharma’s overall record in his sights.
The best of the rest
This tournament is up from six teams to eight. The thinking by the Asian Cricket Council was almost certainly that they could attract even more eyeballs if cricket-mad Nepal qualified.
The best-laid plans went to waste last year, though, at the qualifying tournament in Oman, which carried with it three qualifying berths.
The UAE won the tournament, beating Nepal in the semi-final and then Oman in the final. Hong Kong also went and beat Nepal in the third-place play-off, ruling them out.
Broadcast
The matches will be shown on the Starzplay app in the UAE.
Fixtures
(All matches start at 6.30pm, apart from UAE v Oman on September 15, which begins at 4pm)
Tuesday, September 9 – Afghanistan v Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi
Wednesday, September 10 – India v UAE, Dubai
Thursday, September 11 – Bangladesh v Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi
Friday, September 12 – Pakistan v Oman, Dubai
Saturday, September 13 – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi
Sunday, September 14 – India v Pakistan, Dubai
Monday, September 15 – UAE v Oman, Abu Dhabi
Monday, September 15 – Sri Lanka v Hong Kong, Dubai
Tuesday, September 16 – Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi
Wednesday, September 17 – Pakistan v UAE, Dubai
Thursday, September 18 – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi
Friday, September 19 – India v Oman, Abu Dhabi
Saturday, September 20 – B1 v B2, Dubai
Sunday, September 21 – A1 v A2, Dubai
Tuesday, September 23 – A2 v B1, Abu Dhabi
Wednesday, September 24 – A1 v B2, Dubai
Thursday, September 25 – A2 v B2, Dubai
Friday, September 26 – A1 v B1, Dubai
Sunday, 28 September – Final, Dubai
Monday, 29 September – Reserve Day
