September 2025
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper batter Shreevats Goswami believes that India should not play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 and let them qualify in the mega event. He reckons that the only reason India is featuring in the tournament is because they want to help the other teams economically.Before the announcement of the schedule, there were growing demands from fans to not have any sporting relations with Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently facing a huge backlash since the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) have announced the schedule for the Asia Cup 2025, where arch-rivals India and Pakistan are in the same group.
The former Bengal wicketkeeper who was also part of Virat Kohli’s under-19 World Cup-winning team took his ‘X’ formerly known as Twitter to opine that if India plays against Pakistan, then it will make the whole nation angry.
“My read on the Asia cup going forward is India to & must forfeit the game against Pakistan& let them qualify. We don’t need to win the Asia cup. The only reason India is participating cause it helps other nations economically or else I don’t see any reason. Ideally this is what should & must happen & if India decides to play against pak it will make the nation angry ! It should !” said Goswami on X.
Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to start from September 9 where Afghanistan will play the tournament opener against Hong Kong and India will start their campaign against UAE on next day. The high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan will take place on 14 September. The whole tournament will take place in UAE while BCCI will be the host. 1q
According to sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the 26-year-old all-rounder has been battling shoulder issues for some time now. The PCB’s medical panel has now advised surgery as the best course of action, which will rule him out of competitive cricket for at least three months. He is expected to fly to London soon for the operation.
Shadab, who has featured in 6 Tests, 70 ODIs, and 112 T20Is for Pakistan, last played in a home ODI series against Bangladesh, which Pakistan won 3-0. However, he missed the recent white-ball series in Bangladesh due to fitness concerns and now looks certain to sit out the prestigious regional tournament as well.
Asia Cup 2025: UAE Named Main Host in Hybrid Format
In a key development, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi officially confirmed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the primary host of the Asia Cup 2025, with the event being conducted in a hybrid format. The decision was announced following an ACC meeting in Dhaka on July 26.
The tournament, which will be the 17th edition of the Asia Cup, is scheduled to begin in early September, with matches to be played across multiple venues. The final will take place on September 28.
Blockbuster India vs Pakistan Clash on September 14
The biggest match of the tournament is undoubtedly the India vs Pakistan clash, scheduled for September 14. Given the format, there’s a possibility that the two arch-rivals could face each other up to three times once in the group stage, again in the Super 4s, and potentially in the final, depending on their performance.
Asia Cup 2025 Format
The 2025 Asia Cup will feature eight teams, divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 stage, from which the top two teams will then face off in the final.
First held in 1983, the Asia Cup has grown into one of the most anticipated events in the international cricket calendar, especially due to the intense regional rivalries and the emergence of strong Asian cricketing nations.
September 2025