- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Pakistan will remain A1 and India A2 in the group irrespective of the results in the group stage.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE schedule of Asia Cup 2023 was unveiled on Wednesday (19) and all eyes were on the date when arch-rivals India and Pakistan would lock horns as they are in the same group along with debutantes Nepal.
The 50-over tournament, which will be played in a hybrid model in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will kick off with a game between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan on August 30. Co-hosts Pakistan will meet seven-time champions India in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on September 2. India will take on Nepal in the other group stage match in Kandy on September 4.
Pakistan, which was originally supposed to host the entire tournament till India refused to send their team to its soil, will now organise three group-stages matches, including one involving itself, and one in the Super 4 stage which will be in Lahore on September 6.
The rest of the tournament will be played in Sri Lanka, including the final, which will be held in Colombo on September 17.
Jay Shah, president of the Asian Cricket Council, tweeted after unveiling the schedule, “I am happy to announce the schedule for the highly anticipated Men’s ODI #AsiaCup2023, a symbol of unity and togetherness binding diverse nations together! Let’s join hands in the celebration of cricketing excellence and cherish the bonds that connect us all”.
I am happy to announce the schedule for the highly anticipated Men's ODI #AsiaCup2023, a symbol of unity and togetherness binding diverse nations together! Let's join hands in the celebration of cricketing excellence and cherish the bonds that connect us all. @ACCMedia1 pic.twitter.com/9uPgx6intP
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 19, 2023
While Group A of the tournament features Pakistan, India and Nepal, the other group includes defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage where all teams will play each other once. From the Super Four, the top two teams will go the final.
In this format, there is a chance of India and Pakistan playing each other thrice at the most. However, both of them would have to qualify for the Super Four and then for the final for that to happen.
In this tournament, however, Pakistan will remain team A1 and India A2, irrespective of their points in the group stage. If Nepal pull off a win against either of the two giants and manage to qualify, it would take the tag of either India or Pakistan that fail to qualify for the Super 4 stage.
If both Pakistan and India qualify for the Super 4s, they will meet again on September 10 in Colombo.
Similarly Sri Lanka will remain B1 and Bangladesh as B2 unless Afghanistan force a change.
The ACC announced last month that four matches of the tournament will be held in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka following the acceptance of the hybrid model by all stakeholders, including the Pakistan Cricket Board and Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The unique model was proposed as the Indian board had made it clear that it would not send its team to Pakistan due to the tense relations between the two countries.
