Eight teams, a moved tournament, and a row
India had been named as hosts of the 2025 Asia Cup in July 2024. After the Pahalgam attack and the India-Pakistan military exchanges that followed in the first half of 2025, staging matches between the two sides in India became impossible, and in July the Asian Cricket Council moved the event to the United Arab Emirates. Nineteen matches were played at Dubai and Abu Dhabi between 9 and 28 September, in the Twenty20 format ahead of the following year's World Twenty20.
The field expanded to eight, the largest the competition has had. Oman appeared for the first time, and Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates returned, giving three associate sides in one tournament.
Handshakes
The group match between India and Pakistan on 14 September produced a dispute that ran through the rest of the event. Neither captain shook hands at the toss, reportedly on the advice of match referee Andy Pycroft, and after India won by seven wickets their players left the field without exchanging handshakes. The Pakistan board lodged a protest against Pycroft, demanded his removal, and had the demand rejected by the ICC. Pakistan's next fixture, against the UAE on 17 September, started an hour late while their participation was in doubt, and went ahead after the board said Pycroft had apologised for a miscommunication. The same non-handshake followed the Super Four match and the final.
The cricket
India won all seven of their matches. Abhishek Sharma made 314 runs at the top of the order, including 74 from 39 balls against Pakistan in the Super Four and 75 from 37 against Bangladesh; Kuldeep Yadav took seventeen wickets, equalling Ajantha Mendis's tournament record from 2008.
The best match was on 26 September, when Sri Lanka tied with India after Pathum Nissanka made 107 from 58 balls chasing 203. Both sides finished on 202 for 5 and India won the Super Over. Bangladesh, who had beaten Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, took the fourth Super Four place and lost twice.
The final, and what followed it
India and Pakistan met for the third time on 28 September. Pakistan batted first, Sahibzada Farhan made 57 from 38 balls, and Kuldeep Yadav's 4 for 30 helped bowl them out for 146. India were 20 for 3 before Tilak Varma made 69 not out from 53 balls and saw them home with two balls to spare.
The presentation was delayed more than an hour and then broke down. India declined to accept the trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, who is also chairman of the Pakistan board and Pakistan's interior minister; Naqvi would not hand it over to anyone else and left the ground with it. India celebrated with an imaginary trophy, and the BCCI said it would raise the matter at the ICC.