A continental carnival that has survived boycotts, politics, and shifting formats returns in 2025 with the promise of another India-PAK epic
Imagine Dubai
lit up at night, a sea of blue and green filling the stands, as Suryakumar Yadav steps out to face Shaheen Afridi. The roar erupts, and the tension is almost tangible. That is the allure of the 2025 Asia Cup, scheduled from 9th to 28th September in the UAE, and cricket fans are already marking September 14-the day India and PAK face off in Dubai.
This year, eight nations are divided into two groups. India, PAK, UAE, and Oman form Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong compete in Group B. From there, the top four teams advance to the Super Fours, and the top two vie for the title in a final that will undoubtedly be called "Asia's crown."
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For India, it is more than just another trophy pursuit. It will be their only multi-team tournament before the 2026 T20 World Cup, and Suryakumar Yadav—coming back from surgery but given the captaincy—will lead a team full of youthful talent and experienced power.
Born from the World Cup dream
The Asia Cup was sparked into existence in 1983. When India won its first World Cup at Lord's, it ignited the ambition of a continent. Within five months, the Asian Cricket Conference was established, and by 1984, the first Asia Cup was held in Sharjah. Sunil Gavaskar's India defeated Sri Lanka and PAK to claim the inaugural title.
Sri Lanka responded by hosting in 1986 and winning their first Cup at home, while India famously sat out. By 1988, the tournament had expanded to four teams, with Bangladesh joining as hosts, and India reclaimed the trophy. In 1990–91, India won again on home soil, securing three titles in four editions.
The shifting sands of power
The mid-90s showed that the Cup was no longer India's personal fiefdom. Sri Lanka beat India in Colombo in 1997 to secure their second title. PAK had to wait until 2000 in Dhaka for their maiden crown, defeating Sri Lanka by 39 runs.
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From there, the pendulum kept swinging. Sri Lanka lifted the Cup again in 2004 on home turf, while in 2008, they unveiled a mystery spinner named Ajantha Mendis in Karachi, who bamboozled India in the final to hand Sri Lanka their fourth trophy.
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India hit back in 2010, winning in Sri Lanka with MS Dhoni's men edging a tense contest. PAK then took the honours in 2012 in Mirpur, beating Bangladesh by just two runs in one of the closest finals ever. However, Sri Lanka roared back in 2014, toppling PAK again in Dhaka to win their fifth crown.
T20 makeover and modern magnetism
The watershed occurred in 2016 when the Cup adopted the T20 format. Played in Dhaka, India, won comfortably, defeating Bangladesh in the final. The switch was intentional: T20 was the future, and the Asia Cup could not afford to fall behind.
Two years later, in 2018, the Cup returned to the UAE and the ODI format, with India claiming their seventh title in a close final against Bangladesh. Then in 2022, Sri Lanka surprised everyone by beating both India and PAK in Dubai to secure their sixth trophy.
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The 2023 edition reverted to ODIs, jointly hosted by PAK and Sri Lanka, and India, led by Mohammed Siraj's brilliance, crushed Sri Lanka in the Colombo final to win their eighth Asia Cup.
Why it still matters
Some may argue it is a sideshow compared to the World Cups, but the Asia Cup offers something no ICC event can match: raw rivalry and regional pride.
For fans, it is an opportunity to see India and PAK face each other outside ICC tournaments, a rarity in today's fractured geopolitics. For smaller nations like Oman and Hong Kong, it is their window to measure themselves against giants.
