The Men in Blue, India, will begin their 2025 campaign in the Asia Cup, against the UAE, within Group A that also includes Pakistan and Oman. Their much-anticipated face-off with arch-rivals Pakistan is slated for September 14 in Dubai. This rivalry may unfold up to three times if both teams advance through the Super 4 stage and into the final.

The 2025 tournament, hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28. Matches will be split between Dubai International Cricket Stadium, hosting 11 games including the final, and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, which will hold eight fixtures. The eight participating teams are split evenly into two groups, with the top two from each moving forward to the Super 4 stage.

This edition marks the 17th Asia Cup and the second to be held in the Twenty20 International (T20I) format following a shift from the traditional 50-over One Day International (ODI) format, which dominated the first 12 editions.

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The Asia Cup stands as the premier cricket tournament in Asia, first held in 1983 under the aegis of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Since its inception, the event has been staged intermittently every two years to determine the continent’s top cricketing nation.

Originally contested solely as an ODI event, the Asia Cup switched to a rotational format alternating between ODIs and T20Is starting in 2016. So far, the tournament has featured the T20 format only twice—in 2016 and 2022. This shift reflects evolving global cricket trends and fan preferences, but mostly based on the global cricketing event nearing. For example, this time, the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be staged in February and March.

Over 17 editions, India has emerged as the most successful team, securing the championship a record number of times. Sri Lanka holds the distinction of having the most consistent presence, participating in all 16 previous editions. Notably, Pakistan won twice, in 2000 and 2012.