Cricket | Asia Cup 2025: How India and Pakistan could clash three times in UAE showdown

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited fixture of the Asia Cup 2025 was officially released on Saturday, setting the stage for a high-stakes tournament scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9 to 28.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.

The tournament, to be played in the T20 format , is viewed as an important dress rehearsal for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. And if the draw pans out as expected, India and Pakistan could face off not once, but up to three times.

The two arch-rivals are placed together in Group A along with UAE and Oman. India begins their campaign against UAE on September 10, before squaring off with Pakistan on September 14 — a clash that is already being billed as one of the most anticipated global sporting events of the year.

India will wrap up their group fixtures with a match against Oman on September 19.



How India, Pakistan could meet thrice in the Asia Cup

After their group stage match on September 14, given the strength of the sides, both India and Pakistan are heavily favoured to qualify for the Super 4s, where they could meet again on September 21.

But the story might not end there. If both teams maintain their winning run, they could face off a third time in the Asia Cup final on September 28 — a rare triple-header between cricket’s most passionate rivals.

The matches will be hosted across venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai, bringing the continental cricketing giants together once again on neutral soil.

Full Asia Cup 2025 Schedule and Groups
Group A: India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong

Group Stage fixtures

September 9 (Tuesday) - Group B: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
September 10 (Wednesday) - Group A: India vs UAE
September 11 (Thursday) - Group B: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
September 12 (Friday) - Group A: Pakistan vs Oman
September 13 (Saturday) - Group B: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
September 14 (Sunday) - Group A: India vs Pakistan
September 15 (Monday) - Group A: UAE vs Oman
September 15 (Monday) - Group B: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
September 16 (Tuesday) - Group B: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
September 17 (Wednesday) - Group A: Pakistan vs UAE
September 18 (Thursday) - Group B: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
September 19 (Friday) - Group A: India vs Oman

Asia Cup Super 4s and knockout fixtures

September 20 (Saturday) - B1 vs B2
September 21 (Sunday) - A1 vs A2
September 23 (Tuesday) - A2 vs B1
September 24 (Wednesday) - A1 vs B2
September 25 (Thursday) - A2 vs B2
September 26 (Friday) - A1 vs B1
September 28 (Sunday) - Final