Decoding Asia Cup 2023 Schedule: India To Play Pakistan Maybe Thrice In Tournament; Here's How

The schedule for the Asia Cup 2023 was announced on Wednesday (July 19) after a long wait. The maqrquee clash of the tournament will be between arch-rivals India and Pakistan. The two great ODI sides will meet each other on September 2, Saturday at Kandy in Sri Lanka. After the release of the schedule, it is clear now that India will not play any match on Pakistani soil. India kickstar their tourament with the match against Pakistan at Kandy. Their second match will be against Nepal on September 4 and this match again will be at Kandy.

Also Read | Pakistan's Schedule In Asia Cup 2023: Fixtures, Venues, Dates, Stadium - All You Need To Know

India are hopeful of qualifying for the Super 4 as their two matches are against Pakistan and Nepal. The top four teams will qualify for the next round. Each Team in the Super 4 will each other once. It is expected that India and Pakistan are going to finish as the top teams and will play each other againt in the Super 4s. In Super 4s, A1 meets B2 in Lahore. India are A2 and Pakistan are A1 then both of them will not meet in Lahore. India will play Pakistan again on September 10 at R Premadas stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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

But here's more good news for India and Pakistan fans. India and Pakistan can meet each other not just once, twice but thrice in the tournament. If they end up as the best two teams in the tournament, they will end up playing the final on September 17. That means the arch-rivals play each other thrice in the tournament.

Some other key contests in the tournament are Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka and also between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Apart from India, all teams are travelling to Pakistan to play a match each. Sri Lanka are the defending champions who won the tournament last year. Not to forget, this year Asia Cup is being held in ODI format while last year it was a T20 tournament.