Asia Cup 2025: Format, rules & Super Four stage explained

Published - 08 Sept 2025, 17:42 IST | Updated - 08 Sept 2025, 17:44 IST

The Asia Cup has always been one of the most iconic tournaments, bringing together nations across the continent in a competition. Since its inception in 1984, the event has produced historic rivalries and memorable encounters. In 2025, the 17th edition of the tournament will be played in the T20 format, only the third time in history after 2016 and 2022. India and Sri Lanka won the previous two editions played in this shorter version, and both will again be among the top contenders.

Notably, several teams are going through changes, including defending champions India, as they are without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan’s squad is missing names like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. For teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup is a good opportunity to prepare ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, associate nations such as the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong have joined the competition, making it the first time that eight teams are contesting in this tournament.

The tournament will take place in the UAE from September 9 to 28, with matches scheduled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While India remains the official host, the geopolitical complexities between India and Pakistan led to opting for a neutral venue as the most practical solution. As the competition draws closer, it's important to understand the format, rules, and Super Four stage.

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Asia Cup 2025 will feature eight teams, the most in its history. The five full members of the Asian Cricket Council, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, qualified automatically. They are joined by the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong, who earned their spots through the 2024 ACC Premier Cup. The group stage witnesses the eight teams split into two groups of four.

Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong

Each team will play the others in its group once in a round-robin system. This guarantees a minimum of three matches for every team. Wins fetch two points, a no result or tie provides one, and a loss gives none. Net Run Rate (NRR) is set to play a big role in determining the position of teams in the standings. The top two teams from each group will then progress to the Super Four stage.

The Super Four is the knockout phase of the Asia Cup 2025. Unlike other tournaments that progress directly into semifinals, the Asia Cup will see the top two teams from Group A and Group B together to form a single group of four. In this stage, every team faces the other three once, creating another round-robin contest. This will let each side get three matches.

The points system remains the same: two for a win, one for a no result, and none for a loss. If teams are tied, the Net Run Rate again decides who goes through. At the end of this stage, only the top two teams on the points table qualify for the final, scheduled for September 28 in Dubai.