BCCI to host Asia Cup in UAE; India, Pakistan likely to be grouped together despite recent tensions: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be hosting the Asia Cup after all, albeit in the United Arab Emirates, with arch-rivals India and Pakistan likely to be placed in the same group despite recent hostilities between the two nations. A formal announcement on the same is expected to be announced in a few days’ time, sources in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said.

The development comes after the BCCI made a U-turn on its decision to boycott the ACC meeting in Dhaka on Thursday that was attended by all 25 member nations, with the Indian board represented by vice-president Rajeev Shukla, albeit virtually.

“The BCCI will host the Asia Cup in the UAE. India is likely to play all its matches in Dubai. There are still deliberations on scheduling,” an ACC source told Press Trust of India.

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“Our vice-president Rajeev Shukla ji attended the ACC meeting. He will brief the members. I don’t believe in speculations so you will get to know officially in a few days time,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI.

The tournament is expected to take place over the course of a fortnight in September, before India’s home season gets underway with a two-match Test series against West Indies.

Another Indo-Pak clash on the cards? 

The four-day military showdown between India and Pakistan earlier this year in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam had cast a shadow on future sporting events between the two nations, including cricket.

Additionally, tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad had also cast shadows not just on an Indo-Pak clash in the Asia Cup, but on the continental event itself.

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ACC chief and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, however, isn’t ruling out the possibility of the two fierce rivals being put in the same group and potentially facing each other thrice despite recent tensions.

“We will announce it shortly. We have had discussions with the BCCI and there are a few issues that we will resolve shortly. All 25 members attended the meet either physically or virtually. We are all on same page,” Naqvi told reporters after the meeting in the Bangladeshi capital.

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The Asia Cup returns to the T20I format this year after taking place in the ODI format in 2023, with participating teams expected to fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup that will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka besides vying for the prestigious title.

Sri Lanka and India are the defending champions in the T20I and ODI formats respectively, the former having beaten Pakistan in the final in Dubai in 2022.