Sri Lanka open Asia Cup campaign against BD on 13 September

Tuesday, 5 August 2025 02:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

India are the current holders of the Asia Cup, having won the last edition held in 2023

Two group matches at Abu Dhabi, one at Dubai

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka are due to play two of their three group matches in Abu Dhabi and the third at Dubai in the 17th edition of the Asia Cup conducted by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which is due to commence on 9 September in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The ACC on Sunday confirmed Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the venues for the tournament.

Sri Lanka, who finished runner-up to India in the last Asia Cup final held in 2023, will open their campaign against Bangladesh at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on 13 September. Their second Group B match is against Hong Kong at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It will be followed by the final group game against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on 18 September.

The dates of Sri Lanka’s remaining Super 4 fixtures will depend on their position in the league standings. The top two teams from each group will advance to the single group Super 4 stage. The top two teams in this stage will contest the final on 28 September in Dubai. Sri Lanka’s matches will commence at 6 p.m. UAE time, which translates to 7:30 p.m. in Sri Lanka, which is prime time viewing for Sri Lankan audiences.

With the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for February-March 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, all the 19 matches of the 2025 Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format as a forerunner to the World Cup.

The Asia Cup runs from 9-28 September and will feature 19 matches across the 19 days. 11 matches will take place in Dubai and eight in Abu Dhabi. There will be a rare instance of scheduling overlap when, on 15 September, two games are slated. The UAE vs. Oman game at Abu Dhabi will commence at 4:30 p.m. (6 p.m. IST), while the second game between Sri Lanka and Hong Kong will start at the usual time 7:30 p.m. (IST). As a result, parts of the two games will inevitably overlap.

Eight teams – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong – have qualified for the tournament, to be played in T20 format.

The final on 28 September will be held in Dubai.

GROUPINGS:

GROUP A: India, Oman, Pakistan, and UAE

GROUP B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka

SCHEDULE

9 Sep.: Afghanistan vs. Hong Kong at Abu Dhabi

10 Sep.: UAE vs. India at Dubai

11 Sep.: Bangladesh vs. Hong Kong at Abu Dhabi

12 Sep.: Oman vs. Pakistan at Dubai

13 Sep.: Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi

14 Sep.: India vs. Pakistan at Dubai

15 Sep.: UAE vs. Oman at Abu Dhabi/Sri Lanka vs. Hong Kong at Dubai

16 Sep.: Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh at Abu Dhabi

17 Sep.: UAE vs. Pakistan at Dubai

18 Sep.: Sri Lanka vs. Afghanistan at Abu Dhabi

19 Sep.: India vs. Oman at Abu Dhabi

SUPER 4

20 Sep.: B1 vs. B2 at Dubai

21 Sep.: A1 vs. A2 at Duba

23 Sep.: A2 vs. B1 at Abu Dhabi

24 Sep.: A1 vs. B2 at Dubai

25 Sep.: A2 vs. B2 at Dubai

26 Sep.: A1 vs. B1 at Dubai

FINAL

28 Sep.: 1st placed team vs. 2nd placed team at Dubai

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