The Emirates Cricket Board announced on Saturday that due to the extreme heat in the United Arab Emirates, the start time of 18 out of the 19 matches of the upcoming Asia Cup has been pushed back by 30 minutes from the original schedule. As per the revised timings, the matches will now begin at 6:30 PM local time (8:00 PM IST). This continental tournament, to be played in the T20 format, will take place from September 9 to September 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
In September, when the tournament is scheduled, the temperature during the day is expected to reach around 40 degrees Celsius and remain high until late evening. To avoid playing in such intense heat, cricket boards requested a slight delay in match timings. Broadcasters agreed to this request, resulting in the updated schedule. This means all day-night matches will now begin at 8:00 PM IST.
Related: Asia Cup 2025 Promo Sparks Controversy Ahead of Tournament
The only match unaffected by this change is the tournament’s sole day game between the UAE and Oman, which will be played on September 15 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan and Hong Kong will kick off their campaign in this eight-team tournament on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.
In an official statement published on its website, the ECB said, “The start time of 18 out of the 19 matches of the Asia Cup 2025 has been updated. These matches will now begin at 6:30 PM local time.”
According to the statement, “The match between the UAE and Oman on Monday, September 15, will begin at 4:00 PM local time. This will be the only day match of the tournament.” Earlier, the Asian Cricket Council had scheduled all matches to begin at 6:00 PM local time.