During The Asia Cup, Pakistan Will Play India In Kandy On September 2

(CTN News) – In the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on August 30, a day earlier than originally planned by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Pakistan Asia Cup will play India on September 2, in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Apparently, ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the first match of the tournament will take place in Multan with Pakistan taking on Nepal, and the final will be held in Colombo on September 17.

There are a number of matches that feature in the latest version of the draft schedule, which is likely to see further changes before the Asia Cup announces the final version of the schedule.

As a result of the six-nation tournament being played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka based on the hybrid model recently approved by the ACC, the original draft schedule prepared by the PCB (the hosting board) has already undergone several iterations.

There will be a total of 13 matches in the tournament. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, with the top two teams in this stage advancing to the final.

Pakistan is grouped with India and Nepal in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B.

It is important to note that the Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format this year, is essentially a preparation for the ODI World Cup, which begins on October 5 in India.

According to the original model prepared by the PCB, Pakistan Asia Cup was supposed to host four matches in just one city. As a result of the appointment of a new PCB administration headed by Zaka Ashraf as chairman, Multan has been added as the second venue.

A draft schedule indicates that Multan will host only the opening match, while Lahore will host three matches and one Super Fours game.

A match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on September 3 in Lahore, followed by a match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 5.

Moreover, it is evident from the draft schedule that Pakistan will remain A1 and India will remain A2, whereas Sri Lanka will be B1 and Bangladesh will be B2, regardless of where they finish in the first round.

If Nepal and Afghanistan qualify for the Super Four stage of the tournament, they will take the slot of the team knocked out (Pakistan or India in Group A and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group B) if they qualify.

Only one Super Fours match is scheduled for September 6 in Pakistan between A1 and B2. In the event that Pakistan and India advance to the Super Four stage, they will play again on September 10 in Kandy.

A third Sri Lankan venue, Dambulla, has been listed to host three matches during the Asia Cup 4s tournament.

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