In anticipation of hosting the T20 World Cup in 2026, India will host the Men’s Asia Cup cricket event in 2025, according to an invitation for expressions of interest issued by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
The Asia Cup has been staged in the same format as the World Cup and has served as a dress rehearsal for the global event since it began as a T20 competition in 2016.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hosted the 2023 tournament, which was conducted under a “Hybrid Model” after India declined to go to the adjacent nation and instead played their matches in Sri Lanka.
Due to the 50-over World Cup being contested in South Africa that same year, the 2027 Asia Cup will be played in the ODI format in Bangladesh.
There are 26 matches scheduled over the specified period, therefore 13 games will be played in each of the T20 Asia Cup in India and the 50-over continental championship in Bangladesh in 2027.
“‘Men’s Asia Cup Tournament’ means the biennial senior men’s cricket tournament organised and administered by the ACC involving designated Members, and shall include participation by the teams from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and one Non Test playing Member of ACC selected through qualifying events,” the ACC stated in its IEOI statement.
India are the defending Asia Cup champions, and have won three of the last four editions of the tournament. They beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final of last year’s 50-overs edition in Colombo.