The much-awaited schedule of Asia Cup 2023 is out, much to the relief of fans! The tournament, originally scheduled to be completely hosted by Pakistan, saw a bit of a row pan out with India refusing to visit the neighbouring nation due to strenuous political relationship. After a lot of to and fro, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s offer of hosting the tournament via a hybrid model was accepted and Sri Lanka was given a few matches to host. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match is set to take place in Kandy on September 2, with another potential encounter in the Super Four stage between the archrivals likely on September 10. Asia Cup History and Past Winners: Ahead of 2023 Edition Take A Look at Previous Champions.
Asia Cup 2023 Schedule Announced
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
India, Pakistan and Nepal have been clubbed in Group A, while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka put in Group B. The tournament gets underway with Pakistan facing Nepal in the first match in Multan on August 30. The six-nation tournament would conclude with the final being played in Colombo on September 17. Apart from Multan, Lahore is also going to host Asia Cup 2023 matches. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore would host three matches and one Super Four fixture. Teams which finish in the top two spots of the groups qualify for the Super Four stage. Disney+ Hotstar To Provide Free Live Streaming of Asia Cup and ICC ODI World Cup 2023 for Mobile Users.
The Asia Cup this year is set to be played in 50-over format, with participating teams using this tournament to fine-tune their preparations for the ICC World Cup 2023, which gets underway on October 5 in India. Nepal is the only side out of the six competing teams not to feature in the subsequent World Cup after the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka are the defending champions of the tournament after they put up a spirited show to beat Pakistan in the final of the last edition, which was held in T20 format.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2023 07:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).