Dubai, Sep 8 (IANS) Indian umpires Rohan Pandit and Virender Sharma will be part of match officials panel named for the Asia Cup 2025 beginning on Tuesday.

In the continental opener, Afghanistan will take on Hong Kong China in a Group B clash at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Seasoned match referees Richie Richardson and Andy Pycroft will lead the match officials’ team for the tournament. The match officials list for the Super Four and the tournament final will be announced later, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said on Monday.

The umpires set to officiate the tournament include Ahmad Pakteen (Afghanistan), Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan), Faisal Afridi (Pakistan), Gazi Sohel (Bangladesh), Izatullah Safi (Afghanistan), Masudur Rahman (Bangladesh), Raveendra Wimalasiri (Sri Lanka), Rohan Pandit (India), Ruchira Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka) and Virender Sharma (India).

India will begin their Group A games against the UAE at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 10, before facing off against Pakistan at the same venue on September 14. It is followed by a clash against Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 19.

The 17th edition of the Asia Cup marks India’s first T20I outing since winning the home series against England by 4-1 in January. The tournament also serves as a crucial build-up platform for India ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, to be held in India and Sri Lanka, where they will enter as the defending champions.

It will be first major tournament for Men in Blue in the absence of senior duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their T20I retirements after last year’s World Cup triumph. The prolific pair also called time on Test careers before the England tour which now only limits their international footprints to ODI format.

Rohit and Kohli were last seen in the India jersey during their title-winning campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy in March.

–IANS

ab/bc