Asia Cup Schedule 2023 Announced: India vs Pakistan Match on September 2nd | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Seven-time champions India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Kandy as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah announced the match schedule for Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday.
The six-nation tournament will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17 based on the hybrid model recently approved by the ACC.
Pakistan will play Nepal in the tournament opener on August 30 in Multan.
Team India, with 7 titles (6 ODI and 1 T20I), is the most successful team in the tournament followed by Sri Lanka with 6 titles to their name.

The tournament will consist of a total of 13 matches. The participating teams are divided into two groups: Group A includes Pakistan, India, and Nepal while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The format of the tournament involves the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super Four stage. The top two teams from Super Four stage will compete for a spot in the final.
Starting from 2016, the Asia Cup has been played alternatively in the ODI and T20I formats, aligning with the upcoming world events’ format.

This edition of the Asia Cup will be played in the 50-overs format, serving as a preparation platform for five out of the six participating teams, excluding Nepal, ahead of the ODI World Cup, set to commence on October 5 in India.
According to the schedule, irrespective of their position in the first round, Pakistan will be designated as A1, India as A2, Sri Lanka as B1, and Bangladesh as B2.
In the scenario where Nepal and Afghanistan qualify for the Super Four stage, they will replace the teams that are eliminated from their respective groups.
For Group A, either Pakistan or India will make way for Nepal, while in Group B, either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh will make way for Afghanistan.