India will host the men’s Asia Cup in the T20 format next year.
The tournament, scheduled to feature a total of 13 matches, will see participation from six teams: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and a sixth team to be decided through a qualifying event.
According to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest for the sponsorship rights document issued by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the Asia Cup will return to the T20 format after its previous edition was held in a hybrid model.
Although the exact dates are yet to be finalised, sources indicate that the tournament could take place in September, post the monsoon season in India.
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2023-27 outlines a busy schedule for the Indian cricket team in the upcoming year. India is set to play a limited-overs series against England in January-February, followed by the Champions Trophy in February-March.
Post the Indian Premier League (IPL), the team will tour England from June to August, before heading to Bangladesh for a series of ODIs and T20Is.
Considering this packed calendar, the Asia Cup is anticipated to be slotted after the Bangladesh series and before the two-match Test series against the West Indies in October. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet finalised the venues for the tournament.
Interestingly, while there will be no men’s Asia Cup in 2026, the Women’s Asia Cup will be played in a T20 format that year, followed by the men’s U-19 and Emerging Teams Asia Cup tournaments.
The last edition of the Asia Cup was unique, being conducted in a hybrid model due to geopolitical tensions. Pakistan hosted a few matches, while India played all its fixtures in Sri Lanka.
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India clinched the title, defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
