The Asia Cup 2025 schedule has been tweaked somewhat, with majority of the games now kicking off later in the day to prevent severe heat in the United Arab Emirates. Of the 19 matches played across the tournament, 18 will kick off at 6:30 PM local time (Gulf Standard Time), which is 8 PM IST. This is half an hour late from the original time of start. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) made the announcement on Saturday following various cricket boards' calls for an earlier start. In the UAE, temperatures in September are projected to climb to the early 40s (degrees Celsius) and stay elevated through the evening. Playing under such weather conditions would have been challenging for the players, and hence broadcasters compromised on altering the timings. The changes will be applicable to all day-night games in the tournament. Also Read | Team India’s Dubai Arrival Date Confirmed Ahead of Asia Cup 2025 Only One Day-Match to be Played The only match that is not affected by this alteration is the match between UAE and Oman on 15 September at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The game will begin at 4:00 PM local time and will be the tournament's only day game. The Asia Cup of this year will be contested in T20 format and will be held between September 9 and September 28 at two venues - Dubai and Abu Dhabi. "The start time for 18 out of the 19 DP World Asia Cup 2025 matches has been updated. These matches will now begin at 6:30pm local time (Gulf Standard Time)," the ECB stated on its website. The inaugural match will have Afghanistan play Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on September 9. Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) will stage the highly anticpated India-Pakistan Group A match on September 14. India will start with their match against the hosts UAE on September 10 in Dubai, before their final group match against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. Group A includes India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong comprising Group B.