ACC confirms Dubai, Abu Dhabi as venues for Asia Cup

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has confirmed Dubai and Abu Dhabi as the venues for the Asia Cup in September. It has also announced the timings of the matches which will begin at 6 PM UAE time, which translates to 7:30 PM in India - prime-time viewing for Indian audiences. The tournament runs from September 9 to 28.

Across the 19-day tournament featuring 19 matches, there will be a rare instance of scheduling overlap. On September 15, two games are slated - UAE vs Oman followed by Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong. The first match will begin at 4:30 PM local time (6 PM IST), while the second will start at the usual 7:30 PM. As a result, parts of the two games will inevitably overlap.

India's league matches are scheduled for September 10 (vs UAE), September 14 (vs Pakistan), and September 19 (vs Oman). Assuming India and Pakistan finish as the top two teams in their group, they will face off again in the Super 4 stage on September 21. The dates of India's remaining Super 4 matches will depend on their position in the league standings.

Announcing the venues and timings, ACC president Mohsin Naqvi said, "ACC T20 Asia Cup venues and match timings are out! Looking forward to packed stadiums and some truly breath-taking encounters." The ACC said in a statement, "With top Asian cricketing nations set to battle it out in one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year, the announcement marks a major step forward in the tournament's preparations. From iconic stadiums to passionate fans, the stage is set for thrilling action across the continent."

Eight teams - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman and Hong Kong - have qualified for the tournament, to be played in T20 format. The final, on September 29, will be held in Dubai.

No Production firm yet

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the ACC is yet to finalise the production company for the Asia Cup. In previous editions, Star Sports - which also held the broadcast rights - handled production. This time, with Sony Sports as the new rights holder - they bagged the rights for eight years - it remains unclear whether they will also be entrusted with the production job.