Published on: Jul 6, 2026 5:14 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 6, 2026 5:14 pm IST
The Asian Cricket Council has announced a tentative window for the next edition of the Asia Cup, i.e., Asia Cup 2027, which is set to be played in the ODI format. The tournament will be acting as the decisive buildup to the ODI World Cup 2027, which is slated to take place in Zimbabwe, Namibia & South Africa from October 4 to November 21, 2027.
The 2027 edition of the Asia Cup is set to return in the ODI format after the 2023 edition, which saw Team India win the title in Sri Lanka. The 2027 edition will be held in Bangladesh and will feature six teams. Team India will enter as the reigning champions, as they won the previous edition in 2025 in the T20 format.
While the 2023 edition of the ODI Asia Cup relied on the hybrid model split between Pakistan and Sri Lanka (exclusively for India’s matches) due to the geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has opted for a simpler structure for the 2027 edition that is set to be hosted entirely in Bangladesh.
Matches are heavily expected to be centered in the country’s capital, Dhaka, at the iconic Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, alongside premier venues in Chattogram and Sylhet. This marks a massive homecoming for the tournament, as Bangladesh last hosted the Men’s Asia Cup back in 2016, the first-ever T20I-format Asia Cup.
Unlike the previous edition in 2025, where 8 teams took part in the competition, a total of six teams will be gearing up for the Asia Cup 2027. Take a look at the participating nations.
Five teams, including Bangladesh (hosts), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and India (defending champions), will earn direct qualification. The final spot will be filled by an associate Asian nation emerging victorious through the ACC Premier Cup qualifying tournament.
According to the official Invitation for Expressions of Interest (IEOI) released by the ACC, the tournament will feature a total of 13 matches. The competition will split six teams into two distinct groups, leading into a highly competitive Super Four stage before the grand finale.
While the exact day-by-day fixtures are still being fine-tuned, the ACC has carved out a clear window for September 2027. Scheduling an event in Bangladesh requires navigating the regional monsoon patterns, making September the ideal post-monsoon block.
According to the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), the window slots in perfectly after India finishes its multi-format tour of Bangladesh and right before top teams transition into their respective home winter Test series in October.
As of now, Team India is slated to travel to Bangladesh for next year’s Asia Cup. However, some diplomatic factors could well be in focus between the two countries. Cricket ties between India and Bangladesh have endured rough times in the recent past following the political transition in Bangladesh. This led to the postponement of a scheduled white-ball bilateral series between the two nations, and in reply, Bangladesh opted to boycott the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 held in India owing to security concerns.
The rising geopolitical tensions between the two nations aren’t helping the cricket ties. As of now, the BCB has publicly expressed immense confidence that the Indian team will arrive as planned. However, the final decision for the Indian team to travel across the border hinges on a direct green light from the Government of India.