Ahead of the Asia Cup, teams are ramping up their preparations. As part of that, Pakistan is set to host a tri-nation T20I series featuring Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule for the series.
The tri-series will be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, beginning on August 29 and running through September 7. Since the Asia Cup will also be held in the UAE, the participating teams view this series as a great opportunity to acclimate to the local conditions.
Each match of the series will begin at 7 PM local time. The opening match will feature hosts Pakistan vs Afghanistan. During the group stage, each team will play the others twice, and the top two teams based on points will meet in the final on September 7.
Originally, there were plans for a bilateral series between Pakistan and Afghanistan in August. However, the PCB proposed turning it into a tri-nation series to be hosted in the UAE — a proposal that was accepted by both Afghanistan and the UAE, finalizing the event.
Meanwhile, the Asia Cup teams have been divided into two groups:
- Group A: Pakistan, India, United Arab Emirates, and Oman
- Group B: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong
The opening match of the Asia Cup will be held on September 9, featuring Afghanistan vs Hong Kong.
Pakistan will begin their campaign on September 12 against Oman.
The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan clash is scheduled for September 14.
It is worth noting that this edition of the Asia Cup will be played in T20 format, chosen as a preparatory step for the ICC T20 World Cup, which will take place in February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Tri-Nation T20I Series Schedule:
- August 29: Afghanistan vs Pakistan
- August 30: UAE vs Pakistan
- September 1: UAE vs Afghanistan
- September 2: Pakistan vs Afghanistan
- September 4: Pakistan vs UAE
- September 5: Afghanistan vs UAE
