Cricket world prepares for face-off between rivals Pakistan, India in Asia Cup

One of the most intense and widely watched rivalries in sports returns this weekend as India faces Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup 2025, a cricket match now intensified by recent military tensions between the two nations.

Defending champions India began their campaign with a commanding nine-wicket victory over hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their Group A opener in Dubai. Pakistan, meanwhile, enters the Asia Cup buoyed by a tri-nation T20 series win against Afghanistan and the UAE in Sharjah, as Al Jazeera summarizes.

The Group A clash is scheduled for September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. While India officially holds the hosting rights through the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the tournament is being played in the UAE due to the ongoing conflict with Pakistan.

The Indian government has prohibited its athletes and teams from competing against Pakistani counterparts in bilateral tournaments across all sports. Indian athletes are also barred from traveling to Pakistan, meaning all India-Pakistan matchups in multinational tournaments must take place at neutral venues. Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, both countries agreed to host each other at neutral locations during ICC events.

The last encounter between India and Pakistan occurred at the same Dubai venue on February 23 during the ICC Champions Trophy group stage, where India triumphed by six wickets. That win marked India’s 58th over Pakistan in one-day internationals (ODIs), while Pakistan has claimed victory in 73 ODIs against India.

Pakistan’s most recent Asia Cup victory over India came in the 2022 UAE edition. Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 71 runs in the Super Four clash, but it was Mohammad Nawaz’s 20-ball 41 that propelled Pakistan to victory in the run chase.

Cricket, which originated in England, spread worldwide through British soldiers and settlers over the past few centuries. Today, it ranks as the second most popular sport globally in terms of fans, after football. Its popularity has been particularly strong in the Indian subcontinent, now considered the epicenter of world cricket, encompassing Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

By Nazrin Sadigova