New Delhi/ Dhaka, Jul 24: The Indian cricket board is preparing to host the upcoming Asia Cup T20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, with an official announcement expected within the next few days, according to sources within the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
The decision followed a high-level ACC meeting attended by representatives from all 25 member nations to finalize the venue. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla participated in the meeting virtually.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in September and will run for a little over two weeks. The tournament must conclude before the final week of the month, as India’s Test series against the West Indies is set to begin shortly thereafter. Sources have indicated that India is likely to play all its matches in Dubai, though discussions on the final schedule are ongoing.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed Rajeev Shukla’s attendance at the ACC meeting and emphasized that a formal statement would be released soon, urging the public not to speculate on the matter.
In Dhaka, ACC chairman and Pakistan Cricket Board head Mohsin Naqvi also refrained from revealing details, particularly regarding the potential India-Pakistan clash, but noted that discussions with the BCCI were progressing and that remaining issues would be resolved shortly.
It has also come to light that under pressure from the BCCI, only two of the ten items on the meeting’s agenda were discussed, signaling India’s strong influence within the ACC deliberations.
