The Asia Cricket Council (ACC) has reportedly altered the timings of the Asia Cup 2025 game due to extremely hot weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates.
Hence, the matches which were originally slated for 7:30 PM IST have been shifted to the 8:00 PM IST slot.
Originally, the Asia Cup 2025 was supposed to be officially hosted by the BCCI. However, it was decided that the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates after India and Pakistan mutually agreed to stage matches only at neutral venues til 2027 due to ongoing cross-border tensions.
On the back of start of the tournament, the UAE has been experiencing record-breaking heat wave, making it nearly impossible for cricketers to play in such challenging conditions.
With several matches expected to be high-intensity contests, there are reportedly growing concerns about temperature, dehydration, and injury risks.
However, the match between UAE and Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 15 will kick off at 4:00 PM local time (5:30 PM IST).
With the continental event is set to begin on September 09, Suryakumar Yadav-led India will start their campaign on September 10 against UAE at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai.
The tournament will be played in T20 format, which could serve as the preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Last time, Sri Lanka lifted the Asia Cup T20 trophy format back in 2022, when they defeated Pakistan in the final. All participating teams have already announced the squads for the tournament, expect for the UAE.
India and Pakistan will meet on the Asia Cup stages on September 14 at Dubai International Stadium.
Placed in Group A, India are set to play against UAE, Pakistan and Oman in the group stages. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are slotted in Group B. The tournament opener will be played between Afghanistan and Hong Kong on September 09 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
