Dhaka, Sep 09 (V7N) – The 17th edition of the Asia Cup begins today, with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in the opening match at 8 pm Bangladesh time at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Of the previous 16 editions, 14 were played in the ODI format. This year marks the third time the tournament is being held in the T20 format. Bangladesh will play all three of their group stage matches in Abu Dhabi, hoping to capture the title after reaching the final three times in past tournaments.

Bangladesh’s campaign begins against Hong Kong on Thursday, but to progress through the group stage, Liton Das and his team will have to face strong opponents including Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four, where each team will play the others once. The two top teams from the Super Four will then meet in the final. After 19 matches involving eight teams, the 2025 Asia Cup champion will be decided on September 28.

In other tournament news, Bangladesh’s Masudur Rahman Mukul will serve as a field umpire for the high-profile India-Pakistan match, alongside Sri Lanka’s Ruchira Paliyaguruge.

Excitement in the cricket world has been building ahead of the tournament, with the United Arab Emirates hosting in modern venues. The eight participating teams are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.

The T20-format Asia Cup features two groups, with the top two from each progressing to the Super Four. The final will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a venue famous for hosting memorable matches, including the T20 World Cup final.

END/SMA/AJ