18 of the 19 matches at the upcoming Men’s T20 Asia Cup, including the final, will now begin at 6:30pm local time - half an hour later than originally scheduled - to avoid sweltering heat conditions in the region.. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Saturday that the matches will now begin at 6.30pm local time (8pm IST). This includes all of India’s matches, with the only scheduled day game to be between UAE and Oman, which is to start at 4pm local time at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Temperatures have surged to record highs at the start of August and some parts of the country has seen it touching 47 degrees celsius. The temperature surge followed the UAE’s hottest April and May on record, National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) had said, according to Reuters.In the initial schedule announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) earlier this month, the matches were scheduled to start at 6 PM local time. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host the high-voltage India-Pakistan Group A match on September 14.India’s first match of the tournament against the hosts United Arab Emirates is scheduled to take place in Dubai on September 10, and the last group stage fixture against Oman will be played in Abu Dhabi on September 19. India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman are in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong form Group B.
This new timing shift is also expected to improve playing conditions, with cooler evenings making it easier for both players and fans. While matches will now stretch later into the night, organisers reportedly believe it is a much safer option.The Asia Cup 2025 was supposed to be officially hosted by the BCCI in India. However, in a late ACC meeting, it was decided that the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates after India and Pakistan mutually agreed to stage matches only at neutral venues till 2027 due to ongoing cross-border tensions. The Asian Cricket Council confirmed the shift, with ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi announcing the dates from September 9 to 28. While India remains the official host on paper, the UAE will provide world-class facilities and neutral ground for all participating teams.
