The city of Karaj is set to become the beating heart of Asian baseball this May as it hosts the 16th edition of the West Asia Baseball Cup 2025.
Scheduled from May 15 to 21, the tournament will bring together seven nations, all chasing regional supremacy in a sport steadily gaining ground across the subcontinent and West Asia.
Iran, the host nation and one of the more established baseball outfits in the region, will welcome Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Palestine for what promises to be a week of intense, high-stakes baseball under the aegis of the Baseball Federation of Asia. The format is straightforward—two groups, round-robin play, followed by semi-finals and placement matches, culminating in bronze and gold medal games on the final day.
Palestine, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and India have been placed in Group A, while Pakistan, Iran, and Bangladesh constitute Group B.
The competition opens with Palestine taking on India on the morning of May 15, followed by the opening ceremony and Iran’s clash with Bangladesh later that afternoon at the Karaj Complex. Pakistan opens its campaign against Bangladesh in a fixture that could set the tone for Group B on May 16. May 17 brings another heavyweight battle as Pakistan squares off against Iran, with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan meeting in the second match of the day.
Placement games begin on May 19, offering a final shot at ranking for teams that fall short of the knockout stage. The semi-finals follow on May 20, with the winners earning a place in the gold medal game and the losers contesting bronze the next day.
Pakistan will be one of the favourites for the title after steadily growing in baseball stature in recent years.
With the escalation of cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, it remains to be seen whether this tournament will actually go ahead. However, if it does, it will serve as a litmus test for baseball’s future in one of its fastest-growing frontiers.
Official Game Schedule – West Asia Baseball Cup 2025
| Game Number | Date | Time (IRST) | Home Team | Visitor Team | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 15 | 09:30 | Palestine | India | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 2 | May 15 | 14:00 | Iran | Bangladesh | Group B | Karaj Complex |
| Opening Ceremony | ||||||
| 3 | May 16 | 09:00 | Sri Lanka | India | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 4 | May 16 | 12:00 | Afghanistan | Palestine | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 5 | May 16 | 15:00 | Bangladesh | Pakistan | Group B | Karaj Complex |
| 6 | May 17 | 10:00 | Pakistan | Iran | Group B | Karaj Complex |
| 7 | May 17 | 14:00 | Sri Lanka | Afghanistan | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 8 | May 18 | 10:00 | India | Afghanistan | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 9 | May 18 | 14:00 | Palestine | Sri Lanka | Group A | Karaj Complex |
| 10 | May 19 | 10:00 | Group A3 | Group B3 | Placement | Karaj Complex |
| 11 | May 19 | 14:00 | Group B2 | Group A1 | Placement | Karaj Complex |
| 12 | May 20 | 10:00 | Group A4 | Group B3 | Semi-Final | Karaj Complex |
| 13 | May 20 | 14:00 | Group B1 | Group A2 | Semi-Final | Karaj Complex |
| 14* | May 21 | 10:00 | G#11 Loss | G#13 Loss | Bronze | Karaj Complex |
| 15* | May 21 | 14:00 | G#11 Win | G#13 Win | Final | Karaj Complex |
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