Asia Cup 2025: Politics, passion and a stage for new rivalries

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) can be criticised for many things. Like having Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in a brutal group of death, or missing the chance to ride the wave of cricket's surging popularity in Nepal.

But they have often nailed one key aspect: moulding their flagship competition to suit the needs of the cricket calendar. So, two years after its 50-over edition, the Asia Cup returns in 2025 as a T20 competition, aiming to be a lead-in to next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

September in the UAE can be brutal, but the ACC doesn't have full control over the timing, or the venue. India are the official hosts, but they have once again turned to the UAE, just as they had during the pandemic years with the IPL and the T20 World Cup.

While geopolitics continues to cast its shadow, the fixture everyone is already marking out on their calendars is, of course, India vs Pakistan, the tournament's perennial centrepiece. And if history is anything to go by, the players will bring intensity and not animosity.

From Shaheen Shah Afridi presenting Jasprit Bumrah with a gift for his newborn son to Babar Azam publicly backing Virat Kohli during his slump, the camaraderie has often been warmer than the political climate. But in today's social media age, where jingoism thrives, will the players be as comfortable sharing a laugh or a joke, a hug or a handshake?

Saturday evening could have provided a peek: the teams trained side by side at the ICC Academy in Dubai but kept to their halves, with barely a passing interaction. Perhaps it was just scheduling; perhaps it was something else.

The ACC, though, has been mindful of the commercial and cultural importance of the contests. The prospect of the sides playing each other at least twice, perhaps thrice, is tantalising. Amid occasional calls for boycotts, the larger picture, which includes India's ambitions of hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games in 2036, makes these clashes hard for them to avoid.

None of this has dimmed the enthusiasm of the general fan. Tickets for the two big clashes on September 14 and 21, have been bundled with a few other matches. Not even the seemingly steep prices [starting 1400 AED] have been a deterrent. Every single corporate box is taken, some believed to be by those who once vehemently called for a boycott.

While all this brings the typical hype and drama surrounding the contest, the personnel are vastly different. No Babar or Mohammad Rizwan for Pakistan; no Kohli or Rohit Sharma for India. Pakistan are unheralded, and are testing the waters with a young team under Salman Agha. India are regrouping in the format after the T20Is against England at home in January, keen to pitch tent for their World Cup defence.

Afghanistan, perhaps more at home in the UAE than anyone else, are now genuine contenders, and not underdogs. Stars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Naveen-ul-Haq live and train here. Their spin-heavy attack is built for these conditions, and their confidence, despite the abject defeat to Pakistan in the tri-series final, should be sky-high.

Sri Lanka may be the defending champions in the T20 format - they beat Pakistan in the 2022 final - but the team that lifted the trophy under Dasun Shanaka looks markedly different today. The recent collapse for their second-lowest T20I total against Zimbabwe has underlined the growing pains of a side in transition.

They are still searching for a finisher who can also bowl, and there's heavy reliance on Pathum Nissanka with the bat. Their X-factor remains their bowling, though. Maheesh Theekshana's mystery and Matheesha Pathirana's slingy pace should be more than a handful, but how they are used could determine their fate in a tough group.

Bangladesh are navigating life after their golden generation. With no Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim or Tamim Iqbal, and Mustafizur Rahman not quite the enigma he once was, they are recalibrating with a younger, power-hitting mindset. The tournament is both a test and an opportunity for this new-look squad.

Outside of the Test nations, the story is as much about the Associates - three of them this time.

Oman are piecing things back together after a pay crisis nearly derailed their progress, even coaxing veterans out of retirement to compete. Hong Kong are battling under-preparation. Having been forced into indoor nets for months, they have relied on a two-week crash course in Dubai under new coach Kaushal Silva. UAE are aiming for more than just participation this time. With increased investment and ILT20 exposure, there's a push to develop more local talent. Captain Muhammad Waseem leads that charge, alongside emerging power-hitter Alishan Sharafu, mentored by Andre Russell and already making waves.

So, the subplots are rich and the stakes high. Can Afghanistan turn potential into silverware? Can Pakistan find rhythm in chaos? Will India experiment or play their first-choice XI in a tournament they are touted to win? Can the Associates land a meaningful blow on the giants?

The pitches could be slow and the crowds partisan. Politics may loom large, but when it comes to box-office cricket, nothing tops India vs Pakistan, or Pakistan vs Afghanistan, perhaps even Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh.

Over to the Asia Cup to provide the perfect stage.