How Many Overs in Asia Cup 2025: 20 or 50? Explained

Since its inception in 1984 in the UAE, the Asia Cup has evolved remarkably, growing in stature and popularity with each passing edition. A question that often arises among fans, especially for the upcoming season – How many overs in Asia Cup 2025? Whether the tournament will follow the T20 or ODI format.

Originally launched as a One-Day International (ODI) event in 1986, it followed the same format for years till 2015. For the first time in 2016, the Asia Cup adopted a rotational format to align with the ICC global cricket calendar. It may be due to the increasing popularity of the T20 format globally, but anyway, it was good news for fans. Let’s find out if Asia Cup 2025 will follow 20 overs format or 50 format.

Asia Cup T20: 20 Overs Per Inning

Asia Cup ODI: 50 Overs Per Inning

How Many Overs in Asia Cup?

Asia Cup can be played in either 20 overs or 50 overs, depending on the format. In the ODI format, each team plays 50 overs per innings, while in the T20 format, each team plays 20 overs per innings. Asia Cup 2025 starting on September in the UAE, will be held in the T20 format, meaning each match will have 20 overs per side. 

This rotation was introduced after 2015 so that teams can prepare for the next major ICC event in the same format. For example, if a T20 World Cup is coming up, the Asia Cup is played as a T20I; if an ODI World Cup is on the horizon, it follows the ODI format. The T20 World Cup will commence in 2026; that’s why the current edition follows the T20 format.

Is Asia Cup 20 over match? Asia Cup 2025 will be held in T20 format (20 overs) as the ICC World Cup is ahead (in Feb-Mar 2026). The last edition (2022) was 50 overs as it was an ODI format. In 2023, it was the T20 Asia Cup, held in 2022 in the UAE, and Sri Lanka became the champions after defeating Pakistan. India was out of the Super 4 after losing 2 matches out of 3.

It should be remembered that only two times, the Asia Cup has been played in 20-20 format: 2016 and 2022. And this one is the 3rd T20 edition commencing in 2025. Here is the year-wise list of format and number of overs in Asia Cup –

There are primarily six teams in the Asia Cup, but in the very first season (1984), there were only 3 teams: India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. India emerged as the champion and so far the most successful team in the tournament. In the next season (1986), Bangladesh also became a part of the Asia Cup, and India won that edition too. In this manner, the Asia Cup is played between six teams in successive editions in the 50-over format.

Few know that the 2016 change also brought ICC T20 powerplay rules into the competition, altering field placements and forcing more aggressive starts. These overs and rules not only shape match pace but also influence batting orders, bowling strategies, and game outcomes.

Asia Cup 2025 Format

The Asia Cup 2025 will be held in a T20 format; 20 overs in each inning. The teams are divided into two groups: Group A and Group B. Each team will compete against others in their group, and the top two teams will advance to the Super Four stage. The finalists will play for the championship at the Asia Cup 2025 Venue in UAE, promising an exciting match for cricket fans.

Find out India’s most possible Playing 11 for Asia Cup upcoming edition and check if your favorite player be part of it. Some big names are going to be surprisingly out of the tournament, including Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and more.