Asia Cup, which will serve as a preparatory event for the 2026 T20 World Cup, is likely to be held in September this year at a neutral venue though the hosting rights are with India.
The last Asia Cup was held in the 50-overs format ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
"The tournament will be held in September. India has the hosting rights but it will be played in UAE or Sri Lanka," said a source in the Asian Cricket Council.
The highlight of the event will be the India vs Pakistan match and if they reach the final, both teams could play each other
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman and Hong Kong will be the eight participating teams.
Though BCCI has the hosting rights, it could go for a neutral venue with Pakistan unlikely to travel to India given what transpired in the ICC Champions Trophy.
The ICC Champions Trophy is being played in the Hybrid Model with India playing all their games in Dubai after they refused to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns.
The next edition of T20 World Cup next year will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India are the most successful team in the Asia Cup, having won as many as eight titles across the two white-ball formats.
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